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AMMAN —  His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received a phone call from US President Donald Trump, who indicated his desire to move the US’ embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

During the phone call, King Abdullah warned of preempting a comprehensive solution that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty emphasised that Jerusalem is key to achieving peace and stability in the region and the world.

The King affirmed that the decision will have serious implications that will undermine efforts to resume the peace process and will provoke Muslims and Christians alike.

His Majesty also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the phone.

In the phone call, the King reaffirmed Jordan’s full support for the Palestinians in their efforts to preserve their historical rights in Jerusalem.

The King called for working jointly to deal with the ramifications of this decision and to counter any action that undermines the Palestinian people’s aspirations for their own independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

President Trump had already on Tuesday told Abbas that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a Palestinian spokesman said, amid a growing outcry across the Middle East against any unilateral US decision on the ancient city.

Senior US officials have said Trump is likely on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he is expected to order his aides to begin planning such a move immediately. The officials said, however, that no final decisions have been made.

US endorsement of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would break with decades of US policy that the city’s status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city.

Abbas joined a mounting chorus of voices saying the US move could unleash turmoil.

“President Mahmoud Abbas received a telephone call from US President Donald Trump in which he notified the president of his intention to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaina said.

Meanwhile, Jordan continued its diplomatic efforts to forge a collective response to the US move. 

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday continued contacts with counterparts and a number of officials to discuss the expected US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Safadi made phone calls with his counterparts of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu, Algeria, Abdul Qader Musahel and Morocco, Nasser Bourita.

He also contacted Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Saeb Erekat to draft an action plan to deal with repercussions of prospective decision, which, he said, would increase tension in the region and undermine peace efforts.

During the conversations, Safadi stressed that the fate of Jerusalem must be decided in line with international conventions based on the outcome of the final status negotiations.

He said that all unilateral Israeli measures are groundless, according to Petra.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom will call for emergency meetings to be held at the Arab League on Saturday and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Sunday.

Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Ali Ayed said the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — if taken — would have disastrous repercussions not only on Palestine, but also at the level of Arab and Islamic worlds.

in his remarks  during an extraordinary Arab League Council meeting at the level of permanent representatives called for by Palestine, Ayed noted that such a decision would have major ramifications on the peace process as a whole, and would adversely affect all efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on international legitimacy resolutions, including those related to Jerusalem.

Also on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh called for an emergency meeting to be held on Wednesday noon to discuss Trump’s intention to move the embassy to Jerusalem, according to Petra.

In a statement carried by Petra, Tarawneh said that he will address the parliaments of Arab, Islamic and other states to urge them stand against the decision.

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Tuesday met with UAE minister of state for youth affairs and president of Emirates Youth Council, Shamma Mazrui, over means of cooperation and expertise exchange between Crown Prince Foundation (CPF), the council and the Arab Youth Centre.

During the meeting that was held at Al Husseiniya Palace, Crown Prince Hussein and Mazrui highlighted the importance of such cooperation in empowering both countries’ young people, enhancing their leadership skills and encouraging them to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Crown Prince commended the brotherly ties between Amman and Abu Dhabi, praising UAE‘s initiatives that seek to empower and support youth to play their deserved part in the advancement of their country.

He also emphasised the importance of investing in young people’s potential and providing them with opportunities to participate in the development process.

In another meeting at CPF, in the presence of Prince Hussein and Mazrui, Nour Abu Al Ragheb, acting CEO of the foundation, delivered a presentation on the CPF’s operation, programmes and initiatives, as well as efforts to enhance leadership skills and excellence of the Jordanian youth.

For her part, Mazrui outlined some of the Emirates Youth Council’s initiatives and educational and training programmes.

CPF in February signed a memorandum of understanding with the council aimed at enhancing cooperation at various levels, especially youth-targeted projects and exchanging expertise related to youth empowerment.

In an interview with Petra, Mazrui expressed her aspiration to develop cooperation between CPF and the UAE-based Arab Youth Centre, so as to create interactive platforms for both countries’ youth, and Arab young people in general.

Abu Al Ragheb said that the Emirati minister’s visit will contribute to exchanging expertise between the two entities, where some success stories of CPF were reviewed during the visit.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday held talks with visiting Pakistani Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on bilateral ties and the latest regional developments.

The King, during the meeting attended by Senate President Faisal Fayez, voiced Amman’s keenness to further boost cooperation ties with Islamabad in various fields, mainly at the economic, defence, parliamentary and legislative levels, according to a Royal Court statement.

Discussions also addressed the latest developments in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue, Jerusalem and current efforts aimed at finding political solutions to ongoing crises in the neighbourhood, as well as regional and international endeavours in fighting terrorism within a holistic strategy.

The Pakistani official said that the Palestinian issue and Jerusalem are important, and any procedures to alter the status quo in this holy city will undermine peace efforts and will have negative repercussions on the region and the entire world.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, member of the Jordanian-Pakistani Brotherhood Committee at the Upper Chamber Senator Ghazi Tayyeb and a Pakistani delegation accompanying Rabbani attended the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Hani Mulki and Rabbani discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Middle East.

Mulki voiced the government’s keenness on expanding cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic and trade fields, highlighting the importance of holding meetings of the joint Jordanian-Pakistani higher committee to further develop cooperation between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister reviewed comprehensive reforms Jordan has implemented, noting that the political reform aimed at boosting democracy and citizens’ participation in shaping their country’s future.

On regional issues, Mulki said the Palestinian issue is a top priority of Jordan’s policy. 

He also said that forging a just settlement to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution, was highly present in His Majesty King Abdullah’s frequent meetings with members of the US administration and Congress.

He referred to His Majesty’s warning against moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which would destabilise the Arab and Muslim world, as it constitutes a breach of international legitimacy resolutions that label Jerusalem as an occupied territory.

Rabbani said that Pakistan appreciates King Abdullah’s efforts in promoting regional peace and stability, noting that the Kingdom has always been a pillar of stability in the Middle East.

The Pakistani lawmaker also said that his country looks at any decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem as a violation of international legitimacy resolutions that would have negative repercussions on the Arab and Muslim nation.

He expressed hope that his meetings with Jordanian officials would bolster Jordanian-Pakistani ties.

Fayez also met with Rabbani on Tuesday and called for fostering Jordanian-Pakistani economic, investment and trade ties, to serve aspirations of both countries’ peoples.

The meeting also went over means to bolster joint cooperation, the Mideast developments and activate mutual agreements, according to Petra.

Fayez added that both countries share common stances on several political issues, mainly in their efforts to fight terrorism and extremism.

He stressed the dire need to find a political settlement to the Palestinian issue, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, based on the two-state solution.

As for the Syrian crisis, he voiced hope for relevant global efforts to reach a political solution and give Syrian refugees a chance to return home.

For his part, the Pakistani official highlighted Islamabad’s “longstanding” ties with the Kingdom, based on mutual respect to serve joint interests.

He said his country sees eye-to-eye with Jordan on Mideast peace process and the need to empower the Palestinians to establish their sovereign state.

He added that Pakistan deems Jordan as a vital partner to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and hailed King Abdullah’s relentless efforts in reaching regional peace and stability.

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Tuesday again set a government’s cancellation of the increases to electricity and fuel prices as a precondition to attending the deliberations over the state budget law.

Following a meeting they held at the Chamber, 53 lawmakers pledged to stand firm on the issue and insist on the demands they set in a memo they had signed in which they pledged not to attend the Lower House’s deliberations of the 2018 draft state budget law unless the government reverses its recent decision to increase electricity tariffs and prices of oil derivatives.

The memorandum, which prompted the government to reach an understanding with House leaders, was signed by 90 deputies.

In remarks to journalists following their closed-door meetings, MPs Khalil Atiyyeh, Abdullah Akaileh, Khaled Fanatseh, Nabil Gheishan and Mohammad Riyati said that keeping the government’s subsidy to bread is another “irreversible” condition.

Tuesday’s meeting was seen as a complicating factor for the understandings the government reached Monday with the House’s Financial Committee under which the distribution of the JD171 million allocated in the draft budget law to beneficiaries of the social safety network was left to the panel, which is supposed to set the mechanisms and criteria of who deserves the cash support. 

The funds will make up for rising cost of living brought about by lifting subsidies on commodities that have been a fixture in the economic system for decades, mainly the bread subsidy.

As it stands now, there are two camps within the House: one supporting the deal with the government and another rejecting any compromise over the bread subsidy and electricity and fuel prices.

The second agreement the government reached with MPs on Monday was on keeping exemptions of ownership transfer fees on apartments whose areas do not exceed 150 square metres, while the third is granting beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund a monthly kerosene subsidy of JD2 during winter.

The fourth agreement is exempting electricity subscribers whose consumption does not exceed 160 kilowatts/hour from the JD0.004 raise that went into effect on Friday, as a result of the increase in oil prices to rates over $55 per barrel, the cap set by the government in 2016 to keep electricity prices unchanged. 

AMMAN — The post-grant budget deficit by the end of the third quarter of this year increased to JD726.6 million, compared with JD515.3 million during the same period of the last year, the Finance Ministry announced on Tuesday.

When excluding foreign grants, the budget deficit stood at JD891.4 million by the end of September 2017, compared with JD818.9 million during the same period of 2016, the ministry said in its monthly bulletin, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Local revenues in the first nine months of 2017 went up by JD149.1 million, amounting to JD4.97 billion, compared with JD4.82 billion during the same period of last year. 

Meanwhile, expenditures totalled JD5.86 billion in the first three quarters of 2017, marking an increase from JD5.64 billion registered of same period 2016.

The ministry also announced that the Kingdom’s debt-GDP ratio in the first nine months of the year went down to 94.8 per cent, compared with 95.1 per cent reported for the same period last year.

Ministry data showed that the Kingdom’s general debt in the first three quarters of 2017 stood at JD26.9 billion, compared with JD26.09 billion during the same period of 2016.

BRUSSELS — NATO will assess its training and capacity building support for partners like Iraq and Jordan at the alliance’s foreign ministers meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.

Discussions by the 29-NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting, which started Tuesday, covered the bloc’s support to the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, including the airborne warning and control system aircraft (AWACS).

The coalition has made significant progress as more than 95 per cent of the territory once held by Daesh in Iraq and Syria has been liberated, he said, “but this does not mean an end to the threat,” he told reporters in Brussels.

“So as the coalition moves from combat operations to stabilisation, we will consider how NATO’s contribution should evolve,” said Stoltenberg.

Jordan, which is part of the international coalition, is one of five “enhanced opportunities” partners with NATO along with Australia, Finland, Georgia and Sweden under the alliance’s Partnership Interoperability Initiative.

A Jordanian official told The Jordan Times Tuesday that ties between the Kingdom and NATO were “great”, adding that the two sides cooperate in various areas including counter terrorism, cyber security and training.

According to the NATO official, the foreign ministers will also take decisions to prepare for Brussels Summit next July.

NATO’s partnership with the European Union was also discussed during the meeting.

“I expect we will agree to take NATO-EU cooperation to a new level. Our forces must be able to move more quickly and easily. So NATO and the EU will aim to make military mobility a flagship and a priority for our cooperation,” Stoltenberg said. “Terrorism is a concern to all our citizens. So we will agree to share more information to counter terrorist threats, he added”. 

On Yemen, he voiced the alliance’s concern about the situation  “because we have seen many people killed, we have seen a conflict which has lasted for a long time”.

“NATO is not involved in that conflict, and we are not present. So what we do is that we support all international efforts to find a peaceful, negotiated solution to the conflict, to end the violence and to find a negotiated, peaceful solution,” he said.

Issues to be discussed at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting include the nuclear threats from North Korea and enhancing the defence capabilities of allies and partners.

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday voiced its deep concern over the dangerous escalation in the Yemeni crisis that recently led to the killing of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh by Houthi militias.

State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani said that the events in Yemen constitute a dangerous escalation in the crisis there since the coup against constitutional legitimacy and foreign interference in Yemen’s affairs, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, said that Jordan urges all parties in Yemen to return to dialogue based on the Gulf Cooperation Council’s initiative and outcomes of the national dialogue.

The minister stressed Jordan’s keenness on the unity and stability of Yemen and calls for dialogue among all parties to end the current crisis.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Tuesday visited IKEA Jordan to view the multinational furniture group’s first Jordanian collection, developed in partnership with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), a statement from Her Majesty’s Office said.

The collection, titled “TILLTALANDE”, was handcrafted by a group of 110 local artisans consisting of Jordanian women and Syrian refugees.

Launched in an effort to provide sustainable livelihoods to underprivileged women in Jordan, the IKEA-JRF collaboration taps into artisans’ unique handicraft skills to provide affordable, locally-inspired items. The number of women employed by the project is set to double in 2018, and is projected to reach 400 by the end of 2020.

Her Majesty was welcomed by partner development leader at IKEA of Sweden, Ann-Sofie Gunnarsson, CEO of IKEA’s franchise owner in Kuwait, Morocco and Jordan, IKEA Al Homaizi, Marino Maganto, and IKEA Jordan store manager, Carsten Ebel.

Accompanied by local and international IKEA representatives, as well as JRF Director General Enaam Barishi, Queen Rania viewed the range of locally produced handcrafted textile items on display, which includes cushion covers, floor cushions, and rugs. 

Her Majesty also met with several of the female artisans who produced the collection to discuss the impact the partnership has had on their lives and families. The Queen noted that this collaboration has helped overcome barriers faced in introducing JRF products to new international markets. She also commended the craftswomen’s hard work, creativity and determination to overcome social barriers, which has increased their products’ competitiveness on the global stage.

In turn, the women thanked Queen Rania for supporting their efforts, making it possible for items representing Jordan’s heritage and identity to be sold alongside international products. They also expressed their gratitude for the IKEA-JRF partnership, which is helping them attain financial independence and is motivating them to continue to work even harder.

The launch of the collection from IKEA’s store in Jordan marks the first phase of a special partnership between IKEA and JRF. During the first half of 2018, the collection will be rolled out at several Middle Eastern IKEA stores, as well as a number of high-profile stores in Europe and the US, paving the way for a wider release in the near future. 

Last February, JRF and IKEA teamed up to explore joint opportunities to empower Jordanian women and Syrian refugees in the country, collaborating on identifying employment opportunities that can integrate women into the workforce and society as a whole. 

JRF is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania. The foundation operates the Jordan River Child Safety and Jordan River Community Empowerment programmes, and aims to engage Jordanians to realise their full economic potential and overcome social challenges.

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Tuesday received Lebanese Air Base Commander Brig. Gen. Ziad Heikal and an accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They discussed the latest regional and international developments and ways to enhance cooperation and coordination on a number of issues related to the armed forces of both countries.

Jordan’s Royal Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti attended the meeting. Also on Tuesday, Freihat received the United Kingdom’s Senior Defence Adviser for the Middle East Lt. Gen. Thomas Beckett and an accompanying delegation, with whom he discussed joint coordination and ways to strengthen bilateral ties to best serve the interests of the two armed forces.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Health Minister Mahmoud Sheyyab on Tuesday inaugurated the fourth conference and exhibition on healthcare quality. HH Prince Mired and HH Princess Dina attended the inauguration ceremony of the three-day event, which is organised by the Health Care Accreditation Council (HCAC), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

HCAC Vice President Fawzi Hammouri said that the council has trained more than 4,000 people from different health sectors on healthcare quality and patient safety, in addition to granting accreditation certificates to more than 26 hospitals and 88 healthcare centres.

More than 500 representatives of various health sectors from Jordan, Arab and foreign countries are taking part in the event.