King meets US House delegation

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday discussed bilateral ties and the latest regional developments with a leading congressperson and an accompanying US House delegation. 

During the talks with US House of Representatives Middle East Subcommittee Chair Congressperson Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Monarch reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East, especially the Syrian crisis and its consequences on the Kingdom, which is home to about 1.3 million Syrian guests, including more than 600,000 registered refugees, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty called on the international community to increase its assistance to Jordan to enable it to continue its humanitarian efforts targeting the refugees.

The King also warned against the consequences of the Iraqi crisis on the entire region, renewing Jordan’s keenness on the territorial integrity of Iraq and its call for a comprehensive political solution to the ongoing Iraqi crisis, said the Royal Court. 

On the peace process, the King called on the international community to support the US-sponsored Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations that can lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, the statement said.

For her part, Ros-Lehtinen voiced appreciation for Jordan’s efforts in achieving peace and stability in the region.

Also on Sunday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Interior Minister Hussein Majali met separately with Ros-Lehtinen and her accompanying delegation to discuss means to enhance Jordanian-US relations as well as the latest regional developments. 

Discussions also covered the Syrian refugee crisis and its effect on Jordan, with the US delegates expressing their country’s support for the Kingdom to continue its positive response to the refugees despite the economic difficulties it is facing.