Amman, Nov. 9 (Petra) -- His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal participated via video link on Monday in the opening plenary session of the 22nd Annual Cyprus Summit, organized by The Economist in Nicosia on Nov. 9-10, bringing together leaders, officials and international experts.
Speaking during a session titled "Can Peace, Stability, and Resilience Be Achieved in the Middle East? Jordan’s Pivotal Role in a Divided Regional Environment," His Royal Highness examined the region’s political and humanitarian challenges and ways to build a more stable and cooperative regional framework based on respect for international law, shared interests, and human dignity.
His Royal Highness emphasized that the Levant’s history encompasses a long tradition of cooperation, coexistence, and cultural diversity, alongside its conflicts and divisions. He stressed the importance of viewing the region as an interconnected social and economic space and its peoples’ diversity as a source of strength and an opportunity for integration rather than division.
His Royal Highness noted that the Palestinian question remains central to the region’s challenges and that managing conflicts rather than addressing their political roots has perpetuated cycles of violence, displacement, and instability.
His Royal Highness stressed that humanitarian responses, while essential, cannot replace just political solutions. He underscored the importance of applying international law consistently, respecting peoples’ right to self-determination, and rejecting double standards in addressing human rights.
His Royal Highness also called for a comprehensive approach to human security that extends beyond military considerations to prioritize basic needs, including education, health care, food, water, and employment. He emphasized that the true measure of security and stability is people’s ability to live with dignity, not merely survive.
His Royal Highness urged the development of regional security and cooperation mechanisms grounded in shared interests and interdependence, while preserving states’ sovereignty and independence and strengthening their capacity to formulate collective policies to address challenges.
He also highlighted the importance of drawing on regional expertise and resources for reconstruction, particularly in Palestine, Syria, and Yemen, to create jobs and strengthen economic integration.
His Royal Highness emphasized that refugees and displaced people possess skills, experience, and capabilities that can contribute to building communities. He stressed the importance of enabling them to maintain their dignity and participate in economic and social life.
The summit opened with an address by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Cyprus’s role in promoting stability, security, and multilateral cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean amid changes in the international order and mounting geopolitical and economic challenges.
Held under the theme "A Strategic Gateway for Regional Cooperation: Geopolitics, Growth and Investment," this year’s summit examines geopolitical and economic shifts in the Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus’s role in strengthening cooperation between Europe and the region. Its agenda also covers security, energy, investment, development, and regional integration.
//Petra// AO
