King meets French senators over ties, region

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday discussed bilateral ties and the latest regional and international developments with the president of the Jordanian-French Parliamentary Friendship Committee at the French senate, Christine Kamerman, and Senator Christian Cointat.

During the meeting, the King commended the advanced level of Jordanian-French relations and cooperation, expressing keenness to further these ties to serve the interests of the people of both countries, a Royal Court statement said.

The Monarch reviewed with the visiting senators Jordan’s political reform plan and the newly launched initiatives seeking to enroot democracy and promote public participation in the decision-making process, the statement said.

On Syria, the Monarch stressed that a comprehensive political solution is the only way to end the ongoing Syrian war that can end the large-scale suffering of the Syrian people and safeguard the territorial unity of their country, reviewing in this context Jordan’s increasing burdens resulting from receiving large number of Syrian refugees.  

Voicing gratitude for French assistance to Jordan in addressing the refugee crisis, His Majesty called on the international community to increase its support to the refugee-burdened Kingdom to be able to continue its humanitarian efforts, the statement said.

The King also called on the international community to push for comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the two-state solution that can ultimately lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to the statement.