King holds talks with British PM, leading lawmakers

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with UK Prime Minister Theresa May over the latest regional and international developments and ways to strengthen the "historic" bilateral relations in various fields.

During the meeting, held at 10 Downing Street, the two leaders discussed cooperation between Jordan and the UK in political, economic and military fields.

The King said the relationship is not only strong but it is also improving every year politically, militarily and security wise in spite of all the challenges the region is witnessing.

The King added that the two countries share identical stances and recognise the regional and international challenges, expressing keenness on exchanging thoughts with the British premier on how to achieve peace in the Middle East.

For her part, May stressed the “historic relations” in various fields, adding that the two countries have mutual interests, especially regarding security and economic development.

She said that it was the first opportunity for her to hold bilateral talks in London that would cover many subjects of mutual interest. 

In their talks, the King and May affirmed the need to maintain coordination on various issues of mutual concern, especially on crises in the Middle East. His Majesty also stressed the important role of the UK in that context.

Discussions also addressed regional and international anti-terrorism efforts within a holistic strategy to safeguard global peace and security.

His Majesty and the British prime minister also discussed the Middle East peace process. The King called for intensifying efforts to push peace efforts forward with the goal of launching serious and effective talks between the Palestinians and Israelis based on the two-state solution, which, they agreed, is the only way to end the conflict.

King Abdullah noted that any options that are not based on the two-state solution and other international terms of reference would have grave consequences on the region’s security and stability.

Discussions also covered the latest developments in Syria. His Majesty called for building on ongoing international efforts to maintain the ceasefire, paving the way for a political solution through the current negotiations in Geneva.

Moreover, talks touched on the need to bolster efforts to establish security and stability in Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

Addressing the economic burdens Jordan is shouldering due to the Syrian refugee crisis, His Majesty called for following up on the outcomes of the London donor conference held last year to ensure that donors honour their pledges to support Jordan and other refugee host countries.

The King voiced his appreciation of UK’s support for Jordan to help it ease the repercussions of the Syrian refugee burden and the pressures on the national economy. Meanwhile, he said, such assistance enables the country to continue the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to refugees.

For her part, May said London was keen on advancing partnership with Jordan in all fields, with focus on economic cooperation, thanking Amman for its contribution to efforts aimed at bringing about security and stability in the region.

She said her country is committed to continued support for Jordan as it rises to overcome present challenges ensuing from the regional crises, vowing to press the international community to honour its obligations towards the Kingdom as a refugee host.

Meetings with lawmakers

Also on Wednesday, King Abdullah discussed bilateral relations and regional developments with heads and members of committees in the UK House of Commons and House of Lords, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King started his meetings with heads and members of the foreign affairs, international development and defence committees in the UK House of Commons, followed by a meeting with heads and members of the International Relations Committee in the House of Lords. 

Talks focused on boosting cooperation between Jordan and the UK, especially in the economic, military and security fields. 

His Majesty voiced the Kingdom’s appreciation of the UK’s support to help Jordan implement its development programmes and its assistance in shouldering the Syrian refugee crisis’ burdens. 

The King highlighted the importance of following up on the outcomes of the London donor conference held in February 2016, and on the commitment of donor parties to aid countries hosting Syrian refugees, on top of which is Jordan. 

The meetings also focused on regional issues, mainly the war on terrorism, the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the Syrian crisis. 

King Abdullah stressed the importance of intensifying the efforts of all regional and international parties to eradicate terrorism within a comprehensive strategy, also stressing the importance of enhancing moderate speech.

His Majesty warned of the danger of Islamophobia and the alienation of Islamic societies in the West. He pointed out the risk of extremists using such phenomenon as a means to advance their terrorist agenda, adding that hate speech should be contained to avoid discord and protect Western Islamic communities from extremism. 

As for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, King Abdullah highlighted the importance of achieving peace based on a two-state solution, which, he said, is the only solution to end the conflict.

He added that the lack of a fair and comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian issue would only lead to more extremism. 

Concerning the Syrian crisis, His Majesty said it should end with a political solution reached with the participation of all Syrians and within the framework of the Geneva negotiations currently under way. 

The two meetings focused on efforts exerted to cease fire in Syria and ensure stability in the southern part of the country, in addition to the importance of Russian-American cooperation to help reach a political solution to the crisis. 

They also covered developments in Iraq and the goal of achieving national reconciliation. 

The UK members of parliament voiced appreciation of Jordan’s pivotal role in dealing with the crises and challenges facing the Middle East and commended His Majesty’s leadership in achieving security and stability for the people. 

They highlighted the importance of having the international community shoulder its responsibilities to support Jordan and host communities and enable them to handle the burdens of the Syrian refugee influx, as well as provide the necessary humanitarian aid to the refugees. 

The meetings were attended by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and Jordan’s Ambassador to the UK Mazen Homoud. 

HRH Prince Feisal was sworn in as Regent. 

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, UK House of Commons’ Defence Committee Chairman Julian Lewis described the meeting with King Abdullah as informative.

Lewis said the meeting focused on the situation in Jordan, commending the Kingdom’s approach to the challenges it faces.

MP Madeleine Moon said ties between the two countries were already “deeply rooted” and that more cooperation was expected in numerous fields, praising His Majesty’s vision towards several issues.

The Foreign Affairs Committee’s chair, Crispin Blunt called for continuous support of Jordan in addressing the economic challenges resulting from the regional situation, and commended the King’s efforts on the international level.

Wendy Morton, member of the International Development Committee, said she visited Jordan last year and noticed Jordan’s efforts in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis. She called for more aid to the Kingdom.

Chairman of the International Relations Committee Lord Howell stressed the importance of the meeting with King Abdullah as it covered the “escalating and complicated” changes in the Middle East.

He described the ties between Jordan and the UK as “strategic” and called for increasing support for the Kingdom to help address the refugee crisis.