Jordan Times
Sunday, May 20, 2007
King reviews regional
developments with world leaders
DEAD SEA (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with several
leaders and senior officials who are participating in the World Economic Forum
on the Middle East.
During a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on the
sidelines of the forum, the King said all countries of the region as well as the
international community should be committed to achieving peace.
The King briefed the Iranian official on Jordan’s efforts to end sectarian
strife in Iraq, reiterating that the conflict threatens the future of the Muslim
nation.
Highlighting the challenges facing the Muslim nation, the Monarch stressed that
leaders should shoulder their responsibilities.
He said the Iraqi political scene should represent the different Iraqi groups
and sects, warning that failure of reconciliation efforts would lead to more
violence.
King Abdullah also expressed his concern about repercussions in connection with
Iran’s nuclear programme, and his rejection of the use of force as a means to
deal with this issue, saying that the use of force would increase instability in
the region.
The King also reiterated that Jordan supports the utilisation of nuclear power
for peaceful purposes.
Stressing that the Palestinian question is the core regional issue, the King
highlighted the importance of supporting the Palestinians and arriving at a
solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution.
Mottaki, who conveyed greetings from the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
expressed his appreciation of the King’s efforts to maintain stability in the
region.
King Abdullah also received Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman Ben Hamad Al Khalifa,
who conveyed greetings from Bahraini King Sheikh Hamad Ben Isa Al Khalifa.
During the meeting the two sides reviewed aspects of bilateral relations and
means to strengthen them.
The Bahraini crown prince expressed appreciation of Jordan’s efforts to make the
forum a success.
Also on Saturday, the Monarch held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai,
during which they reviewed regional conditions, the latest developments in
Afghanistan and efforts exerted to achieve peace there.
Stressing Jordan’s support for Afghanistan, King Abdullah expressed the
country’s readiness to provide scholarships for Afghan students at Jordanian
universities.
Karzai expressed appreciation for Jordan’s support to Afghanistan, especially in
the area of humanitarian assistance through a 60-bed field hospital set up by
the Royal medical Services in Mazar-e-Sharif to treat Afghans injured in the
war.
In addition, the Monarch met with Iraqi Vice President Tareq Al Hashemi. At the
meeting, King Abdullah expressed Jordan’s support for the war-torn country’s
efforts to regain stability.
At another meeting with Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the two
sides reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East region, especially
efforts to push forward the peace process and arrive at a final settlement for
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The King and the Danish official reiterated their interest in enhancing
bilateral relations and increasing the joint volume of commercial trade.
Rasmussen indicated that Denmark proposes to open an embassy in Amman to
strengthen cooperation between Denmark and the Kingdom.
Also yesterday, King Abdullah received the Yemeni president’s adviser, Abdul
Kareem Aryani, who conveyed greetings from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Talks between the two sides focused on the latest regional developments and
efforts to revive the peace process.
The King also met with several US congressmen, including Brian Baird, Gordon
Smith, Orrin Hatch and Jane Harman, and reviewed developments in the Palestinian
territories.
He urged the US officials to support efforts to relaunch negotiations between
the Palestinians and the Israelis, stressing the importance of the time factor.
The Monarch reiterated the importance of reaching a comprehensive and viable
solution to the Palestinian question.
In addition, he stressed the Kingdom’s full support for political efforts to
restore stability in Iraq.