Jordan Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
King to address UN
General Assembly today
NEW YORK (Petra) — King Abdullah on Monday held talks here with several world
leaders and heads of delegations on the sidelines of the 61st session of the UN
General Assembly.
At a meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the King stressed Jordan’s
keenness on Iraq’s territorial integrity, describing it as the cornerstone of
efforts to build a better future for Iraq.
King Abdullah commended efforts by Talabani and the Iraqi government to preserve
the unity and stability of their country, renewing Jordan’s full support for the
Iraqis in their pursuit of building their nation and sustaining its stability.
He also reiterated Jordan’s keenness on hosting a reconciliation conference that
would bring together Iraqi religious leaders. The event was scheduled to be held
in Amman in January, but was put off because of internal Iraqi reasons.
The conference, which was expected to take place before the end of this year,
was meant to cement reconciliation between components of the Iraqi people.
Talabani, who said all Iraqis want their country united, briefed the King on
meetings and conferences held in Iraq, seeking to achieve national unity,
consolidate the internal front and improve the security situation.
He added that the Iraqi people and government were keen on better relations with
Jordan in all fields. He referred to a visit by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit to
Baghdad and a trip by his Iraqi counterpart Nuri Maliki to Amman, saying that
they “contributed to the introduction of new practical foundation for ties
between the two countries.”
Also on Monday, the King met with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. The
two leaders discussed economic cooperation and developments in Lebanon and the
Palestinian territories.
Kikwete accepted King Abdullah’s invitation to visit Jordan.
The King also received Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Ben Hamad Al Khalifa,
who heads his country’s delegation to the UN meeting. Talks focused on bilateral
ties and ways to develop them.
King Abdullah is scheduled today to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly
meeting, in which he will call for a final and just solution to the Palestinian
issue that would restore Palestinian rights to establish an independent state.
Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib described the current UN session as
“extremely important for the region and the entire world”.
He said the meeting is being held in the aftermath of Israel’s aggression on
Lebanon and the subsequently growing belief in the world that stability and
security in the Middle East would not be achieved unless a just and permanent
solution to the Palestinian issue is worked out.
On Wednesday, a forum on cooperation and knowledge-sharing among nine Lower
Middle Income Countries [LMICs], in addition to Croatia and Pakistan, will be
officially launched at a one-day summit, hosted by the King in New York.
Gathering on the sidelines of the 61st session of the United Nations General
Assembly, the Group of Eleven (G-11) will discuss means to create a shared
platform for growth and development and enhance the role of participating
countries in global trade and investment.
In addition to Jordan, the group includes Morocco, Tunisia, Ecuador, Georgia,
Indonesia, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Honduras, Pakistan and Croatia.
King Abdullah will deliver a keynote address, which will underscore the
necessity of mobilising international support to facilitate the acceleration of
economic growth in the G-11 countries.
The next G-11 summit will be held in May 2007 on the sidelines of the World
Economic Forum at the Dead Sea.