Paris, Sept. 17 (SANA)Jordan’s King Abdullah II and French President Emmanuel Macron held talks in Paris on Thursday on regional developments and ways to strengthen the longstanding relations between their countries.During talks at the Élysée Palace, King Abdullah stressed the importance of the Jordanian-French partnership in key sectors, according to Jordan’s Petra news agency.

He said a defense cooperation agreement signed during the visit builds on continued coordination between the two countries to safeguard their shared security and support efforts to promote regional stability.

The Jordanian monarch also highlighted Paris’ hosting of a new round of the Aqaba Process meetings focused on supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, stressing the importance of maintaining coordination with partner countries and international organizations.

Turning to regional developments, King Abdullah called for intensified international efforts to restore calm and stressed the need to respect the sovereignty of Arab states and safeguard their security.

Macron, for his part, reaffirmed France’s support for measures taken by Jordan to protect its security and the safety of its citizens, while praising the Kingdom’s efforts to advance peace in the region.The two leaders witnessed the signing of a defense cooperation agreement between their governments on the sidelines of the meeting.

The agreement provides a comprehensive framework for various areas of defense cooperation and reflects the two countries’ commitment to deepening their defense partnership and contributing to regional security and stability.

Earlier Thursday, Macron met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for talks on efforts to halt Israeli attacks on Lebanon ahead of a preparatory meeting for a conference aimed at supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces under the Aqaba Process launched by King Abdullah.FJ/HH