Jordan Times
Monday, November 6, 2006
King, Alliot-Marie talk
Mideast issues, ties
Monarch, Queen leave for Britain on several-day visit
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN — King Abdullah on Sunday held talks with French Defence Minister Michele
Alliot-Marie on regional developments and means to enhance bilateral ties.
Alliot-Marie briefed the King, who left yesterday with Queen Rania for the UK,
on France’s position on Middle East issues.
She praised King Abdullah’s efforts to help establish peace in the region.
As she wrapped up a two-day visit to the Kingdom, Alliot-Marie told reporters
that military ties would develop between Jordan and France over the next months
and years “through training programmes, joint exercises and the exchange of
information and analysis”. She spoke of setting up in the Kingdom “maintenance
activities that will help to create defence industrial activities and jobs of
benefit to Jordan”, Agence France-Presse reported. She did not elaborate.
Talks in Amman also centred on the possibility of “including Jordan in a
dialogue with some European and Arab Gulf countries, to share expertise and
analysis, namely in the maritime field”, she added.
Alliot-Marie also had separate talks “on military cooperation” with Prime
Minister Marouf Bakhit, who also holds the defence portfolio, and had a meeting
with Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib.
Before leaving Jordan, she toured a military base in Azraq, 150 kilometres east
of Amman, according to AFP. Alliot-Marie arrived Saturday evening in Amman after
a two-day visit to Kuwait, where she announced that several military agreements
and contracts with the Gulf state would be signed by the end of November.
King, Queen in London
The Monarch and Queen Rania arrived in London on a several-day visit, during
which they will be received by Queen Elizabeth II, while King Abdullah was to
hold talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Jordan News Agency, Petra,
reported.
The meeting will focus on ways of bolstering bilateral ties between the two
countries and the situation in the Middle East, including ways to help revive
the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. King Abdullah was to address the British
parliament on the “dangers” posed by the breakdown in the peace process between
Israel and the Palestinians, and the persistent violence in Iraq.
The King will also meet with British businesspeople and discuss investment
opportunities in Jordan.