King meets US secretary of defence, national security adviser

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday met with US Secretary of Defence James Mattis and US National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster in separate meetings in Washington, DC, with discussions focussed on the strategic Jordanian-US partnership and regional developments.

King Abdullah’s meeting with Mattis covered means to bolster cooperation in the military and security fields, as well as the US support for Jordan in these sectors.

Discussions also addressed the regional and international efforts to combat terrorism within a holistic strategy. His Majesty and the US defence secretary reaffirmed the need to step up coordination among all countries involved in countering this threat to global peace and security.

Moreover, they discussed current conditions in the Middle East, especially the Syrian crisis and the developments in Iraq.

The King’s meeting with McMaster covered Jordanian-US security cooperation.

It also touched on the strategic cooperation between the two countries within the framework of regional and international efforts in the war on terror.

Discussions also addressed efforts to revive the Mideast peace process, with His Majesty stressing that the absence of a political horizon for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, will lead to more extremism.

The King called for maintaining the historical status quo in Jerusalem, warning that changing it will have negative implications on the entire region.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan, and Jordan’s Ambassador to the US Dina Kawar attended the meetings.