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AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday discussed with US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh Brett McGurk the importance of enhancing cooperation and coordination among regional and international parties to combat terrorism, a Royal Court statement said. 

The King and McGurk discussed the latest developments related to war on Daesh and international efforts. 

The meeting was attended by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben,  National Security Adviser and General Intelligence Department Director Gen. Faisal Shobaki, King's Office Director Jafar Hassan, National Policies Council Rapporteur Abdullah Wreikat and US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells. 

Jordan has been active with the US-led coalition against terrorist groups since its inception in September 2014.

In a recent speech at Rome-hosted Mediterranean Dialogue conference, King Abdullah said Jordan has worked actively with the global community for a comprehensive approach to the challenges that terrorist groups pose today. 

 “I have said from the outset that we are fighting a war within Islam against the outlaws of Islam, the khawarej,” he said, adding: “Yet, as is painfully seen, these terrorists and outlaws threaten the entire world. They spare no peoples; they respect no boundaries, moral or geographic. The Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas have all been targets. This is a war we have to fight, and win, as a united global community.”

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Sunday participated in the ministerial meeting on Libya, held in Rome, where he renewed support for the country’s national unity. 

The meeting, headed jointly by Italy and US foreign ministers, was attended by representatives of Arab and foreign countries, in addition to representatives from Libya’s political and social powers that participated in the Skhirat dialogue under the auspices of the UN. 

In his remarks during the meeting, Judeh reaffirmed Jordan's supportive stance to form a national unity government in Libya to round up and build institutions mentioned in the Skhirat Agreement to restore security and repel terror groups, especially Daesh, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Moreover, he stressed the importance of stopping such terror groups through an international partnership with the Libyan national unity government and law enforcement institutions established by the Skhirat Agreement. 

He said Jordan supports the agreement that will be signed in the Moroccan city of Skhirat this month, voicing hope that all Libyan parties will sign it to end the current state of fragmentation in Libya. 

US Secretary of State John Kerry was among ministers from 20 countries at a Rome conference aimed at maximising the pressure to end the chaos that has engulfed the North African state since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Qadhafi, Agence France-Presse reported.

“Conflict and instability in Libya have gone on for too long. Broad participation here reflects international support for a unified, secure and stable Libya,” AFP quoted Kerry as saying in a tweet from inside the meeting.

The ministers were joined in the afternoon by 15 Libyan officials representing political factions in the country’s rival parliaments, an internationally recognised one based in Tobruk and an Islamist-backed assembly in the capital Tripoli.

The Libyan delegates included at least four members of the Tripoli-based parliament and three from its Tobruk rival, along with other political figures.

Representatives of both assemblies have tentatively agreed to sign the UN plan in Morocco on Wednesday but there are doubts about whether they can carry their supporters with them, according to AFP.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Judeh held talks with Federica Mogherini, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

The two officials discussed ties and the latest regional developments, Petra reported.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury has concluded a working visit to Tokyo, which took place December 10-12. 

During the visit, Fakhoury held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Taro Aso and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoji Muto.

He also met with senior officials from Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Japan External Trade Organisation and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, along with high-ranking officials from the ministry of foreign affairs in charge of the Japanese foreign assistance to the region, including Jordan, among others, according to a ministry statement.

Fakhoury, who thanked Japan for its continued support for Jordan, updated the Japanese officials on recent political and economic reforms, the country’s new 10-year socio-economic vision, dubbed Jordan 2025, and the Executive Development Programme 2016-2018, highlighting in his talks the continued impact of regional crises on Jordan, especially the Syrian refugee influx and priorities recently launched under Jordan Response Plan 2016-2018. 

In this regard, the minister underlined the “holistic approach in handling the consequences of Syrian refugee crisis”.

According to the statement, this approach involves potential programmes that enable Jordan to endure the impact of hosting such an influx of refugees and to receive assistance in the form of grants and concessional funding instruments.

It also aims to attract investments that generate job opportunities and create employment projects in hosting communities affected by Syrian refugees, in cooperation with the UK and the World Bank.

The ministry said that the Japanese side is processing a new grant for host communities in the amount of $12.4 million to support the water and municipal services sectors, adding that an agreement governing it will be signed early 2016.

Moreover, Fakhoury discussed with Japanese officials a new assistance package for 2016 including the possibility of extending budget support assistance as well as new grants directed for implementing development projects, the ministry said.

Furthermore, the minister held meetings with top executives at two Japanese private sector companies, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui & Co., which have been operating in Jordan for many years and implementing key projects in the electricity, renewable energy and water sectors, in addition to investment in the potash and phosphate industries. 

Fakhoury provided an update on the investment and business climate in Jordan and new business-related legislation, in addition to providing an overview on new investment opportunities in Jordan launched earlier this year in the electricity, renewable energy (wind and solar), transport, water (Red Sea-Dead Sea Water  Conveyance Project), infrastructure, tourism and ICT, which, he told his hosts, Jordan is keen on implementing through public-private partnerships.

According to the ministry, the Japanese officials underlined the need to continue supporting Jordan to help it “maintain its economic resilience at these difficult times” and enable it to address challenges ensuing from the Syrian refugees crisis.

Since 1999, Japan has extended to Jordan over $1 billion in the form of financial assistance, of which $474.7 million was in the form of projects and budget support grants, and $530.4 million as concessional loans for budget support and development projects.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday reiterated Jordan's support for Yemen and “its constitutional legitimacy”.

During a phone call with the Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the Monarch stressed the Kingdom's backing of all efforts aimed to restore Yemen's stability and security and build better future for the Yemeni people, a Royal Court statement said on Sunday.

For his part, the Yemeni president voiced his country's appreciation for Jordan's support, the statement said.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday endorsed amendments to the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army Officers’ Service Law stipulating that the King appoints the army chief.

The amendments were introduced to the 1966 law in line with the 2014 constitutional amendments which stipulate that the power of appointing the army chief and the director of the General Intelligence Department is vested in the King.

The amendments change Paragraph A of Article 56 of the law to stipulate that the King appoints, dismisses and accepts the resignation of the chairman of the joint chiefs-of-staff.

The amendments also organise granting the rank of officer to Jordanians under special contracts with set durations and include regulations related to leaves and salary raises. 

Also on Sunday, MPs endorsed the 2015 amendments to the law governing the formation of military courts and the 2002 law governing the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Under the bill, a financially and administratively independent national committee will be established, tasked with assisting and guiding the government in enforcing the IHL.

As put in its validating reasons, the law was written to complete the requirements of Jordan’s subscription to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and its Additional Protocols, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1997 Mine-Ban Convention, also known as the “Ottawa Treaty”, and the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Sunday called on the government to ban US presidential hopeful Donald Trump from entering Jordan, citing the Republican candidate's anti-Muslim comments.

In a memorandum submitted to the Lower House speaker, 51 deputies expressed strong denouncement and refusal of Trump's "fanatic" remarks which, they said, "ignite radicalism and terror and harm Jordanian-US relations and Washington's ties with Islamic countries".

In the memo, a copy of which was made available to The Jordan Times, the signatories called on Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh to send an official letter to the US embassy in Amman expressing rejection of Trump's "anti-Muslim" tirade.

They also called for banning the real estate mogul from entering Jordan, describing him as "racist". 

Trump recently called for a "total and complete shutdown" of the entry of Muslims to the US "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

In an expression of wrath towards the recent California terror attack, the reality TV star argued that anyone belonging to the Islamic faith should be considered a potential threat.

Trump this week denied an Associated Press report that he planned to visit Jordan at the end of December.

The AP report was published one day after Trump's controversial proposal to temporarily ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

Trump tweeted, “Despite my great respect for King Abdullah II, I will not be visiting Jordan at this time. This is in response to the false @AP report.”

AMMAN — Around 200 students on Sunday gathered near the First Zarqa Educational Directorate, to protest against the Ministry of Education's plan to hold the General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) once every academic year, instead of two sessions. 

Khalil Abu Al Asal, director of the First Zarqa Educational Directorate, told protesters the decision is still under consideration and deliberation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Some students in Jerash also protested against the decision, calling on the ministry to cancel it. 

Jerash Education Director Mahmoud Shihab met with the students and stressed that their demands would be referred to the ministry for consideration, Petra added.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat on Sunday reiterated that the aim of holding Tawjihi once a year is to make it easier for students, Petra reported.

He made his remarks during a talk with 11th grade students who were protesting in front of the Education Ministry against the decision.

Thneibat said if the decision is implemented, students will sit for seven exams only, not 10 or more as they do now with the two-session system, noting that only six subjects will be accredited in the final score. 

He added that those who fail will have the chance to retake the exam after four months.

The current two-session system was adopted in 2001, before which Tawjihi exams where held once a year.

Students' scores in Tawjihi are the main factor that decides the university they can apply to and in which specialty they can major.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Jordan’s Ambassador to Turkey and Nonresident Ambassador to Turkmenistan Amjad Adaileh participated in the international conference on neutral policy that started Saturday in Ashgabat, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Participants at the conference stressed the importance of enhancing religious and cultural dialogue, according to Petra.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Sunday received a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church currently visiting the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. During the meeting, attended by Interior Minister Salameh Hammad and Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Ahmad Ziadat, Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and president of the Lutheran World Federation, said the delegation is visiting the Kingdom to celebrate Christmas at the Baptism Site. The delegates commended the Kingdom’s role in enhancing the values of love and tolerance among all Jordanians.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh is scheduled to participate in a ministerial meeting for coordination on Syria, which will be held in Paris on Monday and chaired by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

The meeting, held with the participation of countries interested in the Syrian issue, is organised in preparation for another extended meeting on Syria to be held in New York next Friday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.