Senate president meets Iraqi envoy, Canadian delegation

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Sunday affirmed Jordan’s keenness on preserving Iraq's security, stability and territorial integrity as well as the unity of its people, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah.

During a meeting with Iraq's Ambassador to Jordan Haider Mansour Al Athari, Fayez noted that Jordan is “confident” that Iraq will overcome its current challenges, indicating that the Kingdom, in light of its existing strategic relations with Iraq, is ready to provide assistance and support to enable it to address the challenges it faces, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He underlined the deep-rooted ties between Amman and Baghdad on various levels, reaffirming Jordan's readiness to contribute to the reconstruction process in Iraq, through the efforts of national cadres qualified in various fields and leading Jordanian companies in various sectors.

The senate president called for continual efforts on the part of both countries in the war on terrorism and the need to build on existing bilateral ties, especially in the political, economic and security fields. He also stressed the need to continue efforts to build a strategic economic partnership.

The Iraqi ambassador lauded Jordan's role in standing with Iraq and supporting its security and territorial integrity, commending King Abdullah's continual efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.

Also on Sunday, Fayez presided over part of a meeting between the Senate's Jordanian-Canadian Friendship Committee, led by Senator Sakhr Dodin and Canadian Ambassador Donica Pottie.

During the meeting, he lauded the deep-rooted and strategic Jordanian-Canadian ties based on mutual respect, serving common issues and interests, according to Petra.

Fayez pointed to the two countries’ mutual stances on various regional and international issues, as well as the high-level coordination between His Majesty and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In his address, the Senate president discussed challenges facing the Kingdom, including economic challenges that have been exacerbated by the accelerating events in the region and the hosting of more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, which has put direct pressure on Jordan’s facilities and infrastructure.

Fayez expressed appreciation for Canada's support to Jordan, calling on the international community to assume its responsibility in supporting the Kingdom so that it can continue its humanitarian role, Petra reported.

He highlighted King Abdullah's efforts to establish peace and stability in the region, which will be achieved by ending the Arab-Israeli conflict according to international legitimacy resolutions based on a two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Canadian ambassador lauded Jordan's humanitarian efforts towards Syrian refugees despite its limited resources and its role in combatting terrorism and extremism, expressing appreciation for His Majesty's efforts in various forums aimed at bringing peace to the region and the world at large.

The Canadian diplomat confirmed that there were no plans for her country to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

During the meeting, the senator stressed the importance of activating the free trade agreement between Canada and Jordan, which is the “first of its kind” with any Arab country, through a specialised workshop to be held in May, with the participation of businesspeople from both countries, Petra reported.