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AMMAN — Interior Minister Salameh Hammad on Friday met his Somali counterpart Abdul Rahman Hussein in Tunisia and discussed the possibility of training Somali police officers in the Kingdom.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of Hammad’s visit to Tunisia, where he took part in the 33rd session of the Arab interior ministers’ meetings, which concluded on Friday.

Hammad said Jordan has never been reluctant in presenting its technical and humanitarian expertise to help Arab countries achieve security and stability. Hussein praised Jordan’s security expertise, expressing his country’s interest in benefiting from it, Petra added.

AMMAN — UN Women, in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project, Search for Common Ground (SFCG), and the Ministry of Education, held three-day girls football camps late last month in Mafraq and between Thursday and Saturday in Irbid and Ramtha as part of the “Empowering Girls While Building Social Cohesion through Physical Education and Sports” project.

The project, funded by the governments of Italy and Finland, aims to strengthen gender equality and enhance social cohesion between Syrian and Jordanian girls by using football to communicate effectively and work to ease tensions, according to a statement released by the office of HRH Prince Ali.

Rasha Saleem, the SFCG project manager, said in the statement: “Playing together erased the differences in nationalities and put them in situations to deal with their conflicts and reach a win-win situation in the sport competitions”.

AMMAN — Two people died and 22 people were injured in weekend accidents, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD). In Madaba, a 40-year-old man died on Friday when he was hit by a car in the industrial city area, the CDD said in a statement. Also on Friday, an eight-year-old boy was killed when a car hit him in Karak.

On Saturday, nine people were injured in a two-vehicle collision in Zarqa. In Karak’s Khaldiyeh area, eight people were injured in a two-vehicle collision on Saturday, according to a CDD statement.

Another two-vehicle collision resulted in the injury of five people in Balqa. The 22 injured were taken to hospitals, where they were listed in fair condition, the statement added.

AMMAN — Foreign Ministry Secretary General Mohammad Tayseer Bani Yaseen on Saturday received copies of the credentials of newly appointed Peruvian Ambassador Hugo Portugal and Belarusian Ambassador Alexander Ponomarev.

During the ceremonies, Bani Yaseen and the diplomats reviewed Jordan’s ties with their respective countries, voicing keenness to develop them further, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat on Saturday instructed schools to ensure that students read verses from the Koran during morning assemblies this week in memory of the late Major Rashed Zyoud, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Zyoud died in the line of duty during Tuesday’s clashes with a terrorist group in Irbid. During a meeting with education directors, Thneibat urged them to have schools dedicate their morning assemblies this week to showcasing the role of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies in defending the Kingdom.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, attended a military drill that was carried out by the Desert Eagle SWAT Unit on Friday.

The exercise, also attended by King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and HRH Prince Feisal, included strategic mobilisation operations and shooting by jet fighters, helicopters and anti-tank weapons and artillery.

The unit was set up upon Royal orders and was provided with helicopters, vehicles and equipment to become self-sufficient, flexible and highly mobile, capable of executing its missions day and night and in various weather conditions, according to a Royal Court statement.

The King commended the unit personnel's "distinguished level" and their skills and high morale, according to the statement.

AMMAN — The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is ready to provide Jordan with technical expertise to help it benefit from the partnership agreement with the EU, especially that the WTO is experienced with the rules of origin, WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo said last week.

At a joint press conference with Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali last Wednesday, he noted that the only solution to the difficulties facing Jordanian exports after the closure of neighbouring borders is by finding alternative markets, especially in developing countries, according to a ministry statement released Saturday.

Ali briefed Azevêdo on regional developments and their repercussion on Jordan’s economic stability, especially after the Kingdom achieved “remarkable growth” in the value of total exports, from JD1.05 billion in 2000 to JD5.58 billion in 2015.

AMMAN – A young man was shot in his lower back on Friday in Salt, 35 kilometres west of Amman, and was taken to Hussein Public Hospital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the hospital’s director as saying.

The director, Wael Azab, added that the injured suffered from severe haemorrhage and was transferred to King Hussein Medical City because he needed more specialised medical attention.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday voiced his pride in the relentless efforts of the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army (JAF) and other security agencies in protecting the security of the Kingdom and its citizens.

During a meeting with editors-in-chief of The Jordan Times, Al Rai, Al Ghad and Ad-Dustour dailies, the Monarch said: "Our first and foremost priority will continue to be the protection of our security. JAF and other security agencies are competently dealing with challenges on daily basis with complete professionalism and bravery."

Within this context, His Majesty underlined that Jordan has always dealt with all challenges facing its security and stability which, he said, "are all a product of the region's crises."

His Majesty renewed his confidence in the capabilities of the military and all security bodies in protecting the Kingdom's borders, especially in the north, and in keeping off the dangers of terror.

The King paid tribute to Major Rashed Zyoud, who fell in the line of duty during Tuesday’s clashes with a terrorist group. "Our martyr's magnificent scarifies and the heroism he showed in dealing with the criminal gang will always be remembered by Jordanians," His Majesty said.

The King reiterated that Jordan's position on the Syrian conflict, advocating a comprehensive political solution, will remain unchanged, stressing the need for more cooperation and coordination among regional and international players to push for a final solution that can bring an end to the large-scale suffering of the Syrian people.

Also concerning Syria, the King stressed that the success of attempts to achieve  sustainable ceasefire in Syria will help considerably in setting the stage for a political solution to Syria’s conflict.

Responding to a question on the relationship between Jordan and the Gulf states, the King underlined that the Kingdom’s ties with the Arab Gulf countries are “brotherly, strong and at their best condition”, adding that there are always consultations and coordination with the leaders of these states to serve common interests.

On his recent summit with US President Barack Obama in Washington, the Monarch said that Washington renewed its support for Jordan and voiced appreciation of the Kingdom’s role and efforts in dealing with regional issues. As a strategic partner, he said, the US is committed to supporting Jordan to overcome challenges, especially burdens resulting from the Syrian refugee crisis and threats to its security and stability. 

The King also reiterated Jordan’s support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate cause. 

In addition, His Majesty underlined the important role of the media in serving national causes, describing objective and responsible media organisations as “partners in building the country”.

In this regard, the King highlighted the importance of having the media counter radical ideology “to safeguard present and future generations.”

AMMAN — Jordan on Thursday received eight Blackhawk helicopters from the US and will receive another eight next year to be allocated to the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF).

US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells said the arrival of the UH 60A Blackhawk helicopters “will provide Jordan with another tool for safeguarding its frontiers”, adding that the helicopters will enable the Jordanian Army Quick Reaction Forces to rapidly deploy anywhere in the country.

Since February 2015, the United States has expedited delivery of more than 26,000 rifles and machine guns, more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition, hundreds of bombs and 5,000 night vision devices to support Jordan's immediate operational requirements, the ambassador said.

“Jordan receives one of the largest amounts of foreign military financing in the world with Congress appropriating $450 million for the fiscal year 2016,” Wells said at a ceremony held to receive the Blackhawks at Marka Military Airport in Amman.

In her remarks, the envoy stressed that her country continues to support efforts to strengthen the JAF’s ability to rapidly respond to transnational threats along its borders.  

“US funding helped build the Jordan Border Security Programme, an integrated border surveillance system. This network of sensors alerts the JAF to threats,” Wells said, adding: “I do not have to tell this group about the sheer number of incursions the Border Guard forces thwart; almost nightly the Border Guard troops repel incursions.”

She added that the US is committed to supporting Jordan to effectively respond to threats posed by Daesh, as President Barack Obama recently noted, “Jordan is a country that punches above its weight when it comes to the fight against ISIL [Daesh].”  

“Yesterday, we all commemorated the heroism of Major Rashed Zyoud, who gave his life defeating Daesh terrorists,” the ambassador said, adding that JAF and particularly the Royal Jordanian Air Force have been a steadfast partner in this campaign, with over 1,000 flight hours, 350 sorties and 100 successful strikes against Daesh.

Speaking at the ceremony, Commander of Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Reconnaissance Air Wing Brigadier General Jaber Abbadi thanked the US for its continuous support and for working “with us on this project and for their understanding of our needs, supporting our ideas and thoughts during the productive discussions in the meetings to solve all related issues”. 

“As a result of these collective efforts, we were able to train our pilots and technicians, conducting all maintenance work and receive them in Amman in less than a year”, Abbadi added.

A US official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the press that the helicoptors received on Thursday are “a no-cost lease to Jordan…They are granted to Jordan and these are the same helicopters that the US military uses”.

Eight more brand-new UH 60 MIKE helicopters will be shipped next year as part of a grant totalling $200 million. “They are being built right now and will arrive sometime in 2017”, the official said. 

As for the Predator drones that Jordan has requested, the US official said: “There is no request to purchase right now, but there is a request for pricing MK9.” However, “this is not an item that we are actually providing”.