Jordan Times
Monday, February 11, 2008
King arrives in Moscow on
two-day working visit
JT with agencies
His Majesty King Abdullah arrived in Moscow on Sunday at the start of a two-day
visit during which he is scheduled to hold talks today with President Vladimir
Putin on bilateral ties and regional issues, including ways to push forward the
Middle East peace process.
In an interview with ITAR-TASS news agency on the eve of his visit (see the full
text of the interview), the King said Jordan’s top priority is Middle East
peace, beginning with the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian
state in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as supporting the security, stability
and national reconciliation of Iraq and Lebanon.
Describing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians as “the core
conflict in our region”, His Majesty said “if the parties can arrive at a just,
negotiated settlement, they will take our region one large step closer to
security and stability”.
The Monarch said the peace process that started in Annapolis is a positive
development, stressing that the international community needs to remain engaged
in the process.
“We know from experience that although the parties themselves have to take the
tough decisions and do the negotiating, they have been unable to move forward
without the support and involvement of the international community,” the King
said in the interview.
Praising the “excellent” Jordanian-Russian ties, the Monarch said he hopes to
discuss with Putin cooperation in alternative energy fields, particularly the
development of a nuclear energy programme, in view of the rising price of oil
and its effect on the living standards of Jordanians.
“A Jordanian delegation visited Russia last year to discuss this, and I
understand that a team of Russian experts will come to Amman this month to see
how we can collaborate in nuclear energy development,” His Majesty told the
Russian news agency.
“Jordan has launched its own nuclear energy programme, and Russian expertise
will be a tremendous asset to its development and future success,” he stressed.
The King, who will also meet First Deputy Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev,
highlighted Russia’s involvement in the Middle East peace process.
“This role will be vital in the months to come as Palestinians and Israelis
begin to discuss final status issues,” His Majesty told the agency.
The King, who is accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal and Prince
Ali, Royal Court Chief Bassem Awadallah and Director of the General Intelligence
Department Lt. General Mohammad Dahabi, noted that his talks in Moscow are
expected to cover cooperation in various economic fields, highlighting the
numerous investment opportunities available in Jordan for Russian investors.
“We have built a strong investment climate. This has been complemented by the
diversification of our export base, and numerous economic and structural reforms
that have further boosted the contribution of the private sector to our economic
growth, which in 2007 reached 5.8 per cent in the last three quarters,” the
Monarch said.
“We are shifting the focus now to a better distribution of development gains. We
want all Jordanians to benefit from this growth and, at the same time, be
participants in propelling the country's development,” he added, highlighting
the “nationwide programme to establish special economic and/or development zones
in the various governorates.”
King Abdullah cited the Aqaba Special Economic Zone as an example.
“The ASEZ was conceived as a special development area to create an economic
engine of growth in the Aqaba region. It is based on a model of decentralised
governance and built on the competitive attributes of Aqaba - tourism and
logistics. We introduced world-class investment incentives and a central
development vehicle that has created an environment conducive to investment and
job creation. Its success has encouraged us to adapt and replicate this model
throughout the country,” he told ITAR-TASS.
The Monarch also referred to an agreement signed by the two countries last year
when Putin visited Jordan on the promotion and protection of investment.
“… Once it takes effect, I hope it will have a substantial impact, because there
are numerous opportunities for Russian investment in Jordan, especially in
infrastructure projects and in the oil and gas industry,” the King said, noting
that another agreement was signed between the Amman Chamber of Industry and the
Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry to establish a joint business council.
In addition, the King expressed satisfaction with the level of cultural exchange
and stressed that the two countries also enjoy “a high degree of security
coordination”.
He said that 2,000 students who are now studying in Russia will add to the
currently 20,000 Russian speakers in the Kingdom.
This will help Jordan welcome more Russian tourists, he said, noting that around
100,000 visited in 2006, many of them on religious pilgrimage.
King Abdullah also referred to the Amman Message, launched in 2004 to clarify
the true image of Islam as a religion that rejects violence and promotes
dialogue and constructive interaction with other cultures.
“The purpose of the Amman Message was to articulate clearly the principles and
values of Islam, which have been misappropriated and distorted both by
extremists in the Muslim world and extremists elsewhere. In the case of
extremism in our part of the world, the principles of Islam have been twisted in
order to justify acts of terrorism - which is entirely alien to Islam. These
acts give extremists elsewhere a justification to vilify Islam as a religion
that promotes violence and one that must be confronted. The Amman Message is an
answer to both of them,” he said.