Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 1, 2004
King's Kuwait visit to
focus on economic ties
By Khalid Dalal
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah will begin
today a two-day visit to Kuwait for talks with Emir Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al
Sabah on bilateral ties and regional issues.
King Abdullah told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday that boosting
economic cooperation between the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf emirate will top his
talks with Sheikh Jaber.
Officials and businesspeople will accompany the King to present their Kuwaiti
counterparts with investment opportunities in Jordan, the Monarch said during an
interview with KUNA Director Meshaal Sarhid. Stressing that relations between
the two countries are “solid and well-established,” King Abdullah said there is
a great chance to enhance such ties in all aspects. “Our political relations
have significantly improved and we hope that our economic ties would reach the
same level,” the King said.
Asked whether the talks would cover the renewal of the Kuwaiti oil grant to
Jordan, King Abdullah said: “We will of course discuss with our brothers in
Kuwait all means of enhancing and developing our bilateral relationships.”
After the halt of Iraqi oil supplies to the Kingdom following the war, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia and the UAE offered one-year oil grants for Jordan. While Riyadh
renewed its grant for another year as of May 1 covering 50 per cent of the
Kingdom's daily needs of 100,000 barrels of crude oil, talks to secure a similar
deal with Kuwait and the UAE were still under way, according to officials.
On Iraq, the King said Iraqis should have the final say whether the occupation
forces remain there after the power handover on June 30.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah reiterated that there was no alternative to the roadmap
to the Middle East peace process.
“The roadmap remains the only chance to achieve peace in the region. Israel will
not enjoy security and peace as long as it occupies the Palestinian
territories,” the King said during the interview, indicating that Tel Aviv keeps
creating obstacles for the implementation of the peace blueprint.
In another development, King Abdullah will pay a several-hour visit to Saudi
Arabia before leaving for Kuwait to meet Saudi officials and discuss issues of
mutual concern, according to Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma
Khader.
In his interview with KUNA, the King condemned the terrorist attacks against
Saudi Arabia, stressing that Jordan will use all its capabilities “to support
our brothers in Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi forces hunted on Monday for suspected Al Qaeda militants who killed 22
civilians and took dozens of foreigners hostage in a daring attack on the
kingdom's globally vital oil industry.