Ties with Jordan will be boosted when occupation ends — Abbas

DEAD SEA — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday tapped on areas of "strong" cooperation between Jordan and Palestine, noting that more partnerships will develop when the status quo changes. 

"The relationship between Jordan and Palestine will witness a larger development and more cooperation when the Israeli occupation vanishes and the Palestinian state gains its full independence," Abbas said in the opening session of the World Economic Forum on Friday, which was attended by His Majesty King Abdullah. 

Moreover, he noted that the Jordanian-Palestinian ties "form a solid ground to develop religious tourism and further improve the trade and public health cooperation". 

"Banking cooperation between both countries and having branches of several Jordanian banks’ branches in Palestine have proven to be a successful experience that would further deepen the trade and economic cooperation," Abbas highlighted. 

On the repercussions of the Syrian situation on the Kingdom, he noted that Jordan has been suffering from an economic crisis for many years due to hosting more than one million refugees from neighbouring countries, especially Syria. 

The Palestinian president called on the international community to bear its responsibility towards Jordan. 

"There is a huge economic and financial pressure on the resource-limited Jordan.”