‘Let’s go forward together to expand the horizons of peace and prosperity’

Following is the press statement His Majesty gave in Astana on Wednesday following talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev:

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Good afternoon, everyone,

Mr President,

Thank you so much for this very warm welcome that is always extended to myself and my delegation and the heartfelt warmth that you always show to our people. It is always a pleasure to visit this wonderful country.

The honour of being the first recipient of your International Prize, Sir, gives me a deep sense of gratitude and humility. It is an acknowledgement of the efforts of all Jordanians, who are working and sacrificing today for the future of a world that we share.

To me, this prize stands both for hope, and for responsibility.

Hope that humanity can avert the terrible destruction of nuclear war; and that we can achieve the lasting security of global peace and prosperity.

But also, responsibility to act decisively and boldly; and to come together, all of us, to create the conditions for peace.

The name of this Prize makes it especially meaningful. And, my dear brother, you have brought global vision to today’s most pressing international concerns.

Today, Kazakhstan is a champion of global coexistence and cooperation. Your country is the first in Central Asia to hold a seat at the UN Security Council. In nuclear disarmament, Kazakhstan set a standard for all countries when it shut down its legacy nuclear arsenal in 1991 — one of the first acts of your independent Republic. Today, this leadership continues in Kazakhstan’s recent establishment of a landmark IAEA fuel bank.

My dear brother, Mr President,

It has been an honour to work with you and your country in multiple areas: for global nuclear disarmament, and security against terrorist threats, for bilateral economic partnership and growth, and for the interfaith dialogue, coexistence and understanding.

The fact is that a shared future, a future of well-being for all people, requires multi-dimensional efforts. And mutual support is vital. No country can say that nuclear weapons, or global terrorism, or regional refugee crises, are another country’s problem. Global economic crises and environmental challenges do not stay contained behind other countries’ borders.

All of us are concerned; all of us have an interest in resolving the issues; and all of us have a right and a role in determining the direction our world will take us.

Nowhere is this more true and more urgent than in the Middle East’s central issue — the Palestinian cause. All are concerned in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the two-state solution. And ending this conflict is imperative to regional and global peace, and key to combating extremists by putting a stop to their attempts to employ the failure to resolve it in the service of their dark agendas.

While the issues of terrorism and extremism are not exclusive to our region, Sir, the absence of inclusive political solutions will only benefit terrorist groups who remain a threat to global security.

In this context, a political solution in Syria is vital for regional security and stability. Jordan supports all efforts towards de-escalation in the Syrian conflict that provide a solid ground for successful Geneva talks, including Kazakhstan’s much appreciated efforts in hosting the Astana process.

Mr President,

Jordan and Kazakhstan have enjoyed, as you have said, more than twenty-five years of warm friendship, and we are keen to continue to build on these close ties for many years to come. Our meetings here today have been yet another step to advance our cooperation and take our partnership to a new level.

And it is my hope we will go forward together, to expand the horizons of peace and prosperity for our people and for the world. To be with you today, here in your great land — the heart of the continent, a noble link between East and West — is to see a future of infinite good-will and achievement. 

So, again, Sir, on behalf of myself, my delegation, the people of Jordan,  thank you so much for what you and Kazakhstan do for the international community; what you do for the support of Jordan through our difficult challenges; and the hope that you and your country bring us in resolving many outstanding issues. 

And I do hope, Sir, to see you again in our country to be able to extend just a small measure of the wonderful hospitality that you always extend to me and my people. And I am truly convinced that all the discussions we had today, as you had mentioned, will take the Jordanian-Kazakh relationship into a new level of cooperation, mutual friendship and trust. 

Thank you very much, Sir.