King meets Australian defence minister over military cooperation

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne on Tuesday discussed means to enhance bilateral relations between Jordan and Australia, especially at the military and defence levels. 

The meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, focused on the latest regional developments, focusing on Syria and Iraq, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty and Payne also went over updates in the fight against terrorism, which they highlighted as a threat targeting global security and stability. They underscored the importance of intensifying cooperation and coordination among all regional and international stakeholders within a holistic approach. 

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and the Australian ambassador to Jordan also attended the meeting.

On Monday, Jordan and Australia signed two agreements to enhance judicial cooperation between both countries.

The first agreement is related to exchanging legal assistance in criminal issues, while the second deals with exchanging criminals, as part of similar agreements the Kingdom has signed with other countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki attended the signing ceremony, held at the Prime Ministry, where the deals were signed by Justice Minister Awad Mashagbeh and his Australian counterpart Michael Keenan. The deals also aim to combat serious crimes and ensure the arrest of criminals, Petra added.

Mulki met with Keenan and discussed means to enhance bilateral relations between Amman and Canberra at all levels.