Jordan is the closest to Britain in region — May

AMMAN — "Jordan's prosperity is a major pillar of the UK's stability," British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday. 

Underlying the historic Jordanian-British relations, May said, "There is no country which the UK sees closer as Jordan in the region," pledging constant support to the Kingdom.

Expressing appreciation for Jordan's hospitality and compassion towards the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, May, during a press conference Thursday, stressed that Britain would continue its economic assistance to refugee-burdened Jordan.

May also said that the UK is making a new partnership with Jordan aiming at enhancing the latter's stability, security, resilience, development, job creation and reforms.

“I am here to offer a new, long-term partnership with Jordan … Britain will be a partner you can depend on, “May” added.

May pledged relentless support to Jordan’s reform programmes which, she described, as “made in Jordan, by Jordan and for Jordan”. “We want them [reforms] to succeed.”

Underlying Jordan’s avant-garde position in the anti-terror coalition and citing the security challenges Jordan is facing, May voiced her country’s support for the Jordanian army and other security bodies.  

The British PM also expressed her admiration of Jordan’s anti-terrorism and counter-radicalism approach.

Syria

May said only a political solution to Syria’s seven-year war can put an end the large-scale suffering of the Syrian people and can neutralise the terrorist groups fighting there, including primarily the Daesh terror group.

The premier expressed hopes that the ongoing Geneva conference on Syria would result in positive outcomes towards ending the Syrian conflict.

May also said that the Syrian Assad regime, Daesh and Iran are the major threats to Syria’s stability.

On the Mideast conflict, May stressed the importance of putting the Middle East peace process back on track, voicing commitment to doing “whatever it takes” to help the Palestinians and Israelis reach a settlement of the long-running conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.

“All Israeli unilateral measures, including the illegal settlement expansion, must stop.”

Regarding Iran, May said that the UK will stand firm on its support of the nuclear deal with Iran, which the US President Donald Trump has disavowed but not scraped yet.

Trump has called the Iran deal the worst of its kind ever struck by a US administration

The British PM stressed the need for more strengthened response to Iran’s missile threats facing the Arab Gulf states. 

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of being responsible for a ballistic missile launched from Yemen that targeted Riyadh airport earlier this month, warning that it could be “considered an act of war”.

Meanwhile, May renewed her condemnation of Trump’s retweets of anti-Muslim videos posted by a British far-right organisation Britain First on Wednesday.

“I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do,” May told the press conference.  

“We’re not afraid to say where we think the US got it wrong,” she said, when asked about Trump’s reaction to her condemnation, yet, adding that a state visit by Trump to Britain would proceed.

“An invitation has been extended and has been accepted. We are yet to set a date,” she said.