Senate committee, US ambassador discuss ties, region

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Thursday stressed the importance of building the strategic partnership between Jordan and the US, and the need to continue developing the partnership in various political and economic matters.

Fayez's remarks came during a meeting of the Jordanian-US Parliamentary Friendship Committee at the Senate, chaired by Assistant Senate President Alia Buran in the presence of members of the committee, with US Ambassador to Jordan Henry Wooster, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Fayez referred to Jordan's various political, economic and administrative reforms, under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, which aim at boosting parliamentary and partisan life, reaching parliamentary governments and promoting popular participation. 

He also said that these reforms aim at empowering women and youth, enabling Jordan to face economic challenges, reducing poverty and unemployment, promoting investment environment and providing the best services to citizens in a bid to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.

Fayez also reviewed His Majesty's efforts to end conflicts in the region and restore security and stability. 

In this regard, he reiterated the importance of the role of the US and countries sponsoring the peace process to halt the hostilities perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers against the Palestinian people with the approval of the far-right Israeli government, the latest of which were attacks on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp.

The Senate president stated that Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah, affirms that there is no security and no stability in the region without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution that allows the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also stressed that Jordan rejects any solutions to the Palestinian question at the expense of its national stances and refuses any solutions that infringe upon the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem or change the legal and historical status quo of the holy city.

Fayez commended the assistance provided by the US to Jordan, calling for increasing such aid to enable the Kingdom to meet the economic challenges posed by the surrounding events, continue its pivotal role in working for peace and stability in the region and to enable it to continue to host refugees.

For his part, Wooster referred to the "strength" of the US-Jordanian relations, noting that Washington's ties with Amman are "distinct and unparalleled" at various levels, particularly after the signing of a seven-year strategic partnership agreement, the longest in the history of the two countries.

The ambassador stressed that his country regards Jordan as the closest partner in the world, pointing out that the US is keen to continue building partnerships with Jordan, mainly at economic and investment levels for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

The diplomat said that Washington is aware of the magnitude of Jordan's economic and security challenges due to regional crises, the repercussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ramifications of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the prices of energy and food.