King concludes Morocco, EU tour

AMMAN – His Majesty King Abdullah returned home on Thursday after concluding an official tour that included Morocco, Brussels and Strasbourg. 

In Casablanca, the final leg in His Majesty's tour, King Abdullah held talks with King Mohammed VI that focused on fostering bilateral ties, in addition to the latest regional and international developments. 

The King, who was accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania and Royal family members, also met with Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane and Lower House Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami in separate meetings over cooperation and regional developments. 

Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, along with other Royal family members, pose for a group photo with King Mohammed VI of Morocco and members of the Moroccan royal family in Casablanca on Wednesday (Photo courtesy of Royal Court)

King Mohammed VI held a dinner banquet Wednesday in honour of Their Majesties and the accompanying Royal family members and delegates. 

The banquet was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hassan, Princess Sarvath, Prince Ali, Prince Rashid and Princess Zeina Rashid along with Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and other officials, according to a Royal Court statement.  

At the conclusion of talks, the two leaders issued a joint statement that outlined steps to be taken to increase cooperation between Jordan and Morocco. 

The communiqué said King Abdullah’s visit to Morocco came upon an invitation from the Moroccan king as part of their commitment to strengthening relations and continuing their ongoing consultations and coordination, adding that the talks were based on this mutual understanding.

In Strasbourg on Tuesday, the King delivered a speech before the European Parliament, in which he highlighted Jordan’s stances towards developments in the Middle East. 

The Monarch also met in the French city with European Parliament President Martin Schulz, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

The Jordanian-EU partnership and efforts to combat terrorism were high on the meetings’ agendas. 

While in Brussels, His Majesty met Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel to discuss bilateral relations and developments in the regional and international arenas.

The two sides highlighted their keenness to enhance relations in the political, military and security fields.

His Majesty also met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and members of the alliance and discussed bilateral relations, especially in relation to anti-terrorism efforts.