King meets US Senate leadership

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah concluded a series of meetings at the US Senate on Wednesday with a meeting with the Senate majority and minority leaders.

At the meeting, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, King Abdullah discussed means to bolster the Jordan-US partnership, in addition to recent regional developments, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty expressed appreciation of the United States' support for Jordan throughout the years and in various sectors, especially economic and development-related areas, in addition to security and defence.

The economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jordan and measures taken to alleviate its impact were also discussed.

The meeting covered the burden Jordan shoulders in hosting Syrian refugees amidst a sharp decline in international aid from donor countries, with only 8 per cent of Jordan's needs this year to host refugees being covered thus far.

Discussing the latest regional developments, the King commended the United States' support for the two-state solution as a means to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty warned against the risk of a renewed outbreak of violence in the absence of real progress in restarting the peace process, welcoming the United States' decision to resume support for UNRWA.

For their part, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell commended the deep-rooted and valuable relationship between the United States and Jordan, as well as the Kingdom's role in bolstering security and stability in the region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, and Jordan’s Ambassador in Washington, DC, Dina Kawar attended the meeting.

The King is set to continue his meetings in Congress on Thursday, with Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, as well as a number of House committees.