His Majesty holds talks with Armenian president

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday discussed bilateral ties and current regional developments with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian in Yerevan.

The talks, attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Ali and Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, covered opportunities for cooperation across multiple sectors, especially in economic fields and religious tourism, according to a Royal Court statement. 

In remarks at the start of the talks, the King highlighted the ties of friendship between the two countries, noting the role of Jordanians of Armenian origin in Jordan’s progress.

His Majesty reaffirmed that Armenians and Christians are an integral part of the Middle East’s past, present and future, the statement said.

The King added that there are opportunities for further Jordanian-Armenian cooperation in service of the two countries and peoples.

For his part, President Sarkissian welcomed His Majesty, describing his visit as historic.

The president noted the shared history between Jordan and Armenia, adding that Jordan represents the essence and core of Islam, with the King being a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad, and describing Armenia as the first Christian state in the world, according to the statement.

During the talks, His Majesty noted the importance of the Jordanian-Armenian business forum held this week in Yerevan to build new partnerships to advance economic cooperation.

Talks also covered regional and international developments, with His Majesty stressing the need to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent, viable Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King said Jordan will persist in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship, and preserving the holy city’s identity, according to the statement.

President Sarkissian commended the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem, and the role of His Majesty in safeguarding Armenian churches in the holy city.

Discussions also covered efforts to reach political solutions to crises in the Middle East, to restore security and stability for its peoples.

Earlier, the King was accorded an official welcoming ceremony upon arrival at the Presidential Palace.

 His Majesty King Abdullah returned to Jordan on Tuesday.