Jordan Times
Friday, September 16, 2005
King, Queen Attend Launching Clinton Global Initiative
New York, Sep. 16 (Petra) -- In the presence of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah, former US President Bill Clinton launched Thursday in New York Clinton Global Initiative to support facing the international challenges. These challenges, according to Clinton are poverty, using religion in solving conflicts, achieving conciliation, implementing strategies to limit climate changes, supporting governance and improving governing system.
King Abdullah called, during the opening session of launching the initiative in which British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice participated, the international society and NGOs to help Palestinians and give them hope of a better future. The King noted to the aid presented by Jordan for the Palestinian people in the field of transferring educational programs and improving civil service systems, pointing to the necessity of the international community's support for Palestinians to reduce unemployment and poverty in Gaza as soon as possible.
King Abdullah called the Palestinian private sector to work with the international private sector to implement infrastructure projects in the different Palestinian areas. As for Clinton's interjection on the Jordanian experience in benefiting from trade to create job opportunities and achieve economic growth, King Abdullah considered that the Free Trade Agreement with the US had a great social impact and contributed to increasing Jordan exports to the US to reach about $1 billion dollars.
His Majesty the King refused trials to link Islam with violence, reiterating that Amman Message, launched by Jordan last year, came to clarify the true image of Islam for the most Muslims. King Abdullah noted that the International Islamic Conference, which was held in Amman last July, stressed that extremists are outlaws because their harm affect Muslims themselves and their legal opinions (fatwa) allows to kill Muslims who don't agree with their thoughts. His Majesty the King called the western countries to keep continuity with the Islamic communities living there to make them feel as a part of their societies.
For his part, British Prime Minister Tony Blair reiterated that the best thing that can be done for Palestinians is the give them hope that the withdrawal from Gaza forms a start for an independent Palestinian state. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stressed the importance of uniting the international efforts to support developing infrastructure projects in Gaza Strip and improve living standards for Palestinians. Rice also noted to the success of the Jordanian model in the economic openness and liberating trade.