King urges close int’l cooperation to address regional crises

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah participated on Thursday in the NATO summit held at Newport in South Wales, along with leaders of the alliance member states and partners. 

The summit, attended by around 60 heads of state, represents a chance for NATO leaders and their partners to meet and hold consultations on various global challenges.  

Jordan enjoys “advanced status partnership” with NATO, with which it is bound by several agreements, and is considered a partner of the alliance in promoting peace, security and world stability.   

On the sidelines of the summit, His Majesty met with UK’s Prince Charles with whom he reviewed Jordanian-British relations and several issues of joint concern. 

At the meeting, the King and the prince also discussed development initiatives that Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation has implemented in Jordan in support of youth and employment causes. 

The Monarch also met with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa where discussions focused on bilateral relations and the current developments in the region, as well as several other issues of mutual concern.

The King also met with US President Barack Obama, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

Talks focused on means to develop Jordan’s relations with their respective countries in various fields, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The discussions also centred on the current developments in the Middle East. In this regard, the King stressed that regional challenges should be dealt with in a manner that heeds the needs of countries and takes the aspirations of their people for a more secure and stable future into account. 

His Majesty urged the international community to intensify efforts to inject “without delay” new momentum into the peace process following the ceasefire that ended the Israeli offensive on Gaza, and to help create the right conditions to resume the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks in line with the two-state solution and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, stressing that these talks must be geared towards solutions to all final-status issues and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King also urged the world to support the rebuilding of Gaza after the destruction caused by the Israeli aggression, outlining the efforts Jordan is exerting to mitigate the difficult humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave through providing medical care and facilitating the entry of relief aid shipments. 

King Abdullah warned again that leaving Middle East crises without permanent solutions will nourish extremist trends and provide a fertile soil for the thriving of terrorist groups, stressing that addressing such a threat requires effective international cooperation to bring an end to the rise of these groups, which, he said, constitute a real danger to all in the region and beyond.

During the meetings, His Majesty also discussed the situation in Iraq, reiterating that Jordan wants a unified and coherent Iraq, where national concord is the approach adopted to overcoming all challenges facing the country. He expressed hope that Iraqis would manage to form a national government that engages all components of the population.

The Monarch also warned against the repercussions of the Syrian crisis, which, he said, has been dragging for too long, highlighting the refugee burden on Jordan and other neighbours. 

For their part, the leaders His Majesty met stressed their keenness to bolster strategic ties with the Kingdom and cooperate with Amman to address the various challenges in the region.