Jordan Times
Monday, October 8, 2001
Assad due today
By Saad G. Hattar
AMMAN — Syrian President Bashar Assad is due in Amman today for talks with His Majesty King Abdullah on regional and international developments, a high-ranking official said.The official told The Jordan Times that Assad will be the guest of honour at a working luncheon hosted by His Majesty after the prime ministers of the two countries sign 12 cooperation agreements.
On Sunday, King Abdullah received Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa Miro who arrived in Amman earlier in the day to co-chair the meetings of the Jordanian-Syrian Higher Committee.
At the meeting, the King underscored the need to “improve Jordanian-Syrian ties and remove the obstacles to full cooperation,” a Palace source said.
The talks revolved around recent international and regional developments, as well as bilateral relations, the source said.
Shortly after Miro's arrival in Amman, he and Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb held a joint press conference in which they stressed the two countries' keen interest in boosting bilateral relations and dwelt on an international anti-terrorism drive.
Jordan and Syria continue to coordinate steps, along with other Arab countries, to face the challenges of terrorism within an international bloc, Abul Ragheb said.
For his part, Miro called for “an international conference under UN auspices to define terrorism and distinguish between terrorist cells and resistance groups struggling to end Israeli occupation of Arab land.”
He said Palestinians “are facing Israeli terrorism and aggression on their property, homes, women and men.”
In his remarks to the press, Abul Ragheb stressed Jordan's readiness to combat international terrorism and reiterated support for the Palestinians “in their quest to liberate their homeland in the face of Israeli aggression.”
“Jordan and Syria are coordinating steps to curb the Israeli violence and aggression in line with US and EU efforts in this regard,” the premier told reporters at Marka Military Airport, where he received Miro.
Miro's scheduled visit to Amman coincided with a visit to Tehran by Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who held talks with Iranian officials on the US-led campaign against terrorism.
The visits came on the eve of a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Doha where discussions are expected to focus on a unified Muslim position on terrorism and ways to cooperate with Western countries following the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.
Abul Ragheb and Miro co-chaired the Jordanian-Syrian Higher Committee, scheduled to wind up on Monday with the signing of the 12 cooperation agreements, including a landmark free trade deal.
The free trade agreement is to replace their 1975 trade convention which is seen as “incompatible” with the new trade laws and requirements of the World Trade Organisation, which Jordan joined in 2000.
It is the second higher committee meeting since August 2000.