King, in phone call with Kuwait emir, reaffirms brotherly bilateral ties

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, in a phone call on Friday with Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, reaffirmed the strong, deep-rooted brotherly ties between the two countries and peoples, as well as keenness to bolster them further.

King Abdullah stressed that Kuwaitis are among family in Jordan, and that any harm to them is harm to Jordanians, and does not reflect nor represent the deep-rooted, brotherly ties between the two countries or Jordan’s appreciation and admiration of Kuwait, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty wished Sheikh Sabah good health and well-being, and the people of Kuwait continued prosperity and progress, the statement said.

Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Friday took to Twitter to comment on what occured during the Jordanian and Kuwaiti national teams football match in Amman on Thursday as part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Some attendees among Jordanian fans chanted slogans against Kuwait.

In his tweet, Razzaz said that Jordanian-Kuwaiti ties are stronger than to be tampered with by some who do not represent Jordanians. 

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah on Saturday stressed the deep-rooted Jordan-Kuwait relations.

The two ministers' meeting came on the sidelines of Arab League emergency session on Saturday concerning the Turkish military offensive in Syria, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

Safadi stressed that “any offence to Kuwait is an offence to Jordan” and briefed Al Sabah on the legal actions that have been taken against those who uttered the chants during Friday’s game. 

Sheikh Sabah expressed appreciation for the measures taken by Jordan and its “clear stances which reflect the strength of bilateral ties”. 

Also on Friday, the Lower House expressed rejection to any attempt that seeks to harm the “deep-rooted” relations between the two countries.

 In a statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the Chamber denounced these chants that do not represent the Jordanian people.

Kuwaiti Ambassador in Amman Aziz Dehani said that the Kuwaiti-Jordanian “strong and deep-rooted” ties are stronger than to be touched by “irresponsible and cheap” chants, Petra reported.

Dihani praised the official and public reactions that condemned and rejected the chants, noting that such reactions are highly appreciated by Kuwaitis.

The Jordan Football Association expressed its denunciation to the chants by some of the attendees of the match that was hosted at the Amman International Stadium.

The association pledged to take procedures to hold accountable those behind these chants, according to Petra. 

Also on Friday, the Public Security Department spokesperson said that the department arrested two of those who allegedly made the chants, adding that a search was ongoing to arrest others involved.