Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A new round of "Aqaba Meetings" will open Saturday with the aim to enhance global coordination and efforts in countering terrorism and violent extremism.

The two-day meetings, hosted in the Kingdom’s Red Sea port city, are co-chaired by Jordan and Japan, with discussions focusing on security challenges in Southeast Asia and to build on the outcomes of previous meetings.

The Aqaba Meetings are part of a series of international meetings launched by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2015 to bolster security and military cooperation, coordination and exchange of expertise among regional and international partners to counter terrorism and its threat to global peace and security within a holistic approach.

Organized in rounds with a regional focus, the meetings foster and encourage expert discussions on security challenges, especially in regards to regions suffering from terrorism hotspots.

The meetings are part of King Abdullah’s vision to step up global cooperation in countering terrorism and violent extremism within a joint, international effort, based on close coordination and consultations that cover military, security, and ideological aspects.

Participants to the meetings include a number of ministers, senior security and political officials from Southeast Asia, as well as representatives of other international partners such as the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO.

Over the past years, the "Aqaba Meetings" featured similar region-focused discussions with heads and representatives of a number of states in East and West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Balkans, as well as other senior officials from around the world.