King holds talks with Cyprus president

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Friday held talks with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on strengthening cooperation across all sectors, as well as the latest regional and international developments.

During the talks, held at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, King Abdullah expressed Jordan’s keenness to advance ties with Cyprus, stressing the importance of building on the outcomes of the third trilateral summit held in Athens in July this year, between Jordan, Cyprus, and Greece, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty commended Cyprus’ efforts in countering the impact of climate change, urging regional and international collaboration to deal with this phenomenon.

Discussions also covered regional developments, especially the Palestinian cause, with the King reiterating that stability cannot be achieved in the Middle East without reaching just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty also noted the importance of maintaining support for UNRWA to continue providing its services in accordance with its UN mandate.

Moreover, discussions covered the need to reach political solutions to crises in the region, and enhance efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.

The King bestowed the Order of the Bejeweled Grand Cordon of Al Nahda (Order of the Renaissance) on President Anastasiades, in appreciation of his efforts in strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, while the Cypriot president presented the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III to His Majesty, the highest order of merit awarded by Cyprus.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Cyprus Mohammad Fayez attended the talks.

On the sidelines of His Majesty’s visit to Cyprus, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, an agreement on the extradition of persons, and a memorandum of understanding on development cooperation.

Later in the day, His Majesty returned to Jordan.