Jordan, Japan coordinate positions on region

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received Japanese prime minister’s National Security Adviser Kintaro Sonora, who is currently visiting Jordan as part of coordination and consultations between the two countries on various issues.

The Japanese official delivered a letter to His Majesty from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which addressed the latest regional and international developments, according to a Royal Court statement.

The talks, which were attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Shuichi Sakurai and the delegation accompanying Sonora, also covered efforts aimed at pushing forward the peace process and the war on terrorism.

Also on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with Sonora and highlighted the “strong ties of friendship and partnership” between Jordan and Japan, which “witness continuous developments in various domains”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Safadi stressed the importance of Japan’s role in the region, as well as Jordan’s support to this positive role, especially with regards to the Middle East peace process.

Safadi highlighted the importance of the “Corridor for Peace and Prosperity” initiative, which aims at supporting peace efforts in the region and improving the Palestinian economy. 

The Corridor for Peace and Prosperity initiative was launched by Japan 10 years ago. 

The concept of the corridor, according to related literature, is to “work collaboratively to materialise projects that promote regional cooperation for the prosperity of the region, such as establishing an agro-industrial park in the West Bank and facilitating the transportation of goods”. 

In this regard, Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s support for this initiative, along with all political efforts exerted to reach a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The foreign minister praised cooperation between Jordan and Japan in the economic, military and security fields, stressing the need to continue cooperation and coordination between the two countries, mainly in the war against terrorism.

For his part, the Japanese official praised His Majesty’s role in restoring security and stability in the region, as well as the level of cooperation and coordination between Amman and Tokyo, voicing his country’s willingness to further enhance cooperation with the Kingdom, Petra said.