King meets with Arab, world leaders on sidelines of Tunis summit

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday held talks with Arab and world leaders on the sidelines of the 30th Arab summit in Tunisia.

During a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, the King affirmed the strong ties between the two countries and the importance of expanding economic and trade cooperation.

The Palestinian cause and the need to unite Arab efforts and positions in response to regional challenges were also discussed, a Royal Court statement said.

In addition, the meeting covered the Syrian crisis and the means to reach a political solution that preserves the territorial integrity of Syria and the unity of its people, while ensuring the safe return of refugees and international support for host countries, the statement said.

The importance of regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach was also discussed.

The King met with Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and discussed bilateral ties and regional developments including the Palestinian cause.

King Abdullah and Sheikh Sabah affirmed the deep ties between Jordan and Kuwait, and their commitment to expanding cooperation.

At the meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides, Jordan and Kuwait stressed the importance of maintaining coordination over issues of mutual concern in service of Arab causes, according to the statement.

King Abdullah thanked Kuwait for its positions in support of Jordan, noting the importance of Sheikh Sabah’s efforts in serving Arab causes, the importance of ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, according to the statement.

His Majesty also met with Sayyid Asa’ad Bin Tariq Al Said, deputy prime minister for international relations and cooperation affairs and personal representative of the sultan of Oman, who headed Oman’s delegation at the summit.

Discussions covered bilateral ties and means to enhance cooperation in service of joint and Arab interests, the statement said.

The importance of joint Arab action to overcome shared challenges was also discussed during the meeting, which was attended by senior officials from both sides, according to the statement.

The King held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa on Jordanian-Bahraini relations.

His Majesty stressed the need to bolster joint Arab action and unify positions on challenges facing the Arab world.

King Abdullah stressed the need for “institutionalised” joint Arab action during a meeting with Speaker of the Council of the Nation of Algeria Abdelkader Bensaleh, according to the statement.

His Majesty also met with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and discussed partnerships between Jordan and the EU, as well as recent regional developments.

Discussions covered the importance of strengthening coordination and consultation between Jordan and the EU on various issues of mutual concern, the statement said.

The King stressed the need to step up international efforts to re-launch Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, based on the two-state solution to lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, pointing out the importance of Europe’s role in this regard.

The status of the Golan Heights as occupied Syrian territory, according to international law and UN resolutions, was also emphasised during the meeting.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas and Jordan’s Ambassador to Tunisia Awwad Sarhan attended the meeting.