Jordan Times
Friday, January 23, 2004
King in Davos to address WEF today
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh
DAVOS — His Majesty King Abdullah arrived here on Thursday to lead an official delegation to the World Economic Forum's 34th annual meeting and held several meetings with heads of state and prominent political and business figures.King Abdullah's talks focused on means to boost bilateral ties with several countries, enhance Arab economies and achieve greater political development.
The King met Swiss President Joseph Deiss for talks on Middle East issues, particularly the Palestinian cause and Israel's highly-condemned separation barrier.
Warning against the barrier, which cuts deep into Palestinian territories, King Abdullah said the wall would destroy the peace process and kill any chance for an independent Palestinian state. He emphasised that only a just solution to the Palestinian problem could restore regional stability and security.
On bilateral issues, the King said Jordan is keen to strengthen economic cooperation with Switzerland, highlighting joint agreements signed in 2002 in the environment, health and water sectors.
He also praised Switzerland's proposed assistance to support a feasibility study on a project to save the Dead Sea from degradation. Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that levels of Dead Sea water were dropping fast because of industrial and agricultural activities.
The King also held talks with members of the New Asian Business Leaders and discussed issues raised during their previous October meeting at Singapore's WEF East Asia Summit. The leaders had offered scholarships for Jordanian students in an array of subjects.
The King was also briefed on preparations under way for the February meeting between New Asian Business Leaders and the Arab Business Council (ABC) in Malaysia. The conference will be held under his patronage.
The Monarch also met Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Ben Hamad Al Khalifah and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Ben Jassem Al Thani for talks on boosting bilateral ties and supporting the recently established ABC.
He stressed during the meetings on the need for Arab countries to form solid economic blocs in order to advance their position on the international market.
The King also held talks with President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sadeko Ogata, Senior Vice President of Boeing Co. Thomas Pickering, John Chambers of Cisco Systems and Bill Gates of Microsoft.
The King expressed appreciation for JICA's support to the Kingdom in education, water and information technology (IT) projects.
He also discussed investment opportunities in the aviation sector with Pickering, especially after the company expressed intention to set up an aviation training institute in Jordan.