The Aqaba Process, a counter-terrorism initiative founded in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is jointly chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.
The Rome edition of the forum centred on enhancing regional and international cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism, with a special focus on West Africa. The high-level meeting took place on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome.
Among the leaders in attendance were King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Other participants included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, and delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, alongside special envoys and security experts. The discussions were held behind closed doors.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs. He also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss efforts to promote religious harmony in Nigeria and counter misinformation portraying the country as intolerant of religious diversity.
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has organized 33 meetings—ranging from heads-of-state summits to technical expert gatherings—focusing on three main objectives: prevention, coordination, and bridging operational gaps in global counterterrorism strategies.
