King, Japan PM discuss bilateral relations, situation in Gaza

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, during a meeting with Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Saturday, reiterated the importance of the strategic partnership between Jordan and Japan.

At a meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, the King expressed Jordan’s keenness to continue expanding its partnership with Japan in various fields, especially in economic areas, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty highlighted Jordan’s economic modernisation efforts, as well as the challenges the Kingdom faces as a result of regional conditions.

For his part, the Japanese prime minister said Jordan is one of Japan’s most important partners in the region, and plays a pivotal role, stressing the importance of the partnership between the two countries, and the need to enhance it through economic and political cooperation.

He also expressed Japan’s keenness to maintain coordination with Jordan as a key partner in the region, and to continue economic support for the Kingdom due to its reform efforts and humanitarian role, the statement said.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the two sides agreed on the need to work towards a permanent ceasefire, and to maximise and sustain the volume of humanitarian aid to the Strip, while ensuring its direct and uninterrupted delivery.

The King reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection of attempts to displace the Palestinians in Gaza, or any attempts to separate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to stop settler violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank.

The two sides called for protecting civilians and respecting the relevant international laws, highlighting the two-state solution as the only way to reach peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the statement said. 

His Majesty reiterated that the two-state solution is pivotal to reach peace in the region and a requirement for regional security, noting that the continuation of the current war and its catastrophic repercussions are unacceptable

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan attended the meeting.