In Jordan, a summit to discuss the crises shaking the region

A Jordanian army drone flies over the border with Syria on February 17, 2022. (Illustrative image) AFP - KHALIL MAZRAAWI

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2 mins

Representatives of Middle Eastern countries are meeting this Tuesday in Amman for the second consecutive year in the presence of the French President.

A rare meeting between States often opposed on the issues of the region, to discuss in particular the future of Iraq which is trying to emerge from twenty years of war and crises.

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With our special correspondent in Amman

,

Guilhem Delteil

The instability of its neighbors has a direct impact on Jordan, a haven of peace in a region plagued by crises and wars.

Amman has had to fight infiltrations by

Islamic State group

fighters from Iraq and now faces trafficking in the drug,

captagon

, from Syria.

The stability of its neighbors is therefore in its national interest.

This meeting – the second of its kind – brings together the countries of the region, with the exception of Syria, which was not invited.

Like last year, Saudi and Iranian representatives, the two great rivals of the Middle East, will be present in particular.

"

The interest of the conference is to have countries with different positions

", considers the French presidency, to "

see the paths that can be taken to bring the points of view closer together

".

For this, France is betting on regional integration: the implementation of economic or environmental projects uniting the countries of this region.

The initiative, launched in August 2021, has not yet really borne fruit.

But for Jordan as for France, the very holding of this second meeting shows the interest of the participating countries in the continuation of the process.

►

To read: Jordan: four captagon traffickers shot dead at the Syrian border

Other actors also threaten the stability of Iraq

But terrorist groups are not the only threat to Iraq's stability: neighboring countries are too.

Particularly Turkey and Iran which have operations in Iraq.

For researcher Hardy Mede, from the European Center for Sociology and Political Science at the University of Paris 1, it will be difficult to obtain a commitment from them.

There are more strikes and there is even a threat of a military intervention in Iraqi Kurdistan against the Kurdish opposition parties.

From this point of view, the Iraqis do not think that this summit will necessarily change anything.

13 JORDAN _Son Baghdad 2: H. Mede (spé) "Turkey and Iran at the heart of discussions in Baghdad 2"

►

To read also: Iran carries out new attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan

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