Palestinian cause was highlight of US visit, King says

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with former media ministers, managers of official media as well as current and former chief editors of daily newspapers and reviewed with them a host of issues that included local affairs as well as regional and international developments, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King discussed his recent visit to the US, noting that his talks focused on political issues, especially the Palestinian cause and the outcome of the Arab summit, the Syrian crisis, the conditions in Iraq and the fight against terrorism. 

His Majesty said that the visit also stressed the importance of economic cooperation and the US support for Jordan in light of the economic and financial challenges. 

King Abdullah said he informed President Donald Trump of the most pressing issue for the Kingdom, which lies in the economic situation. 

He expressed his optimism about the new US administration's support and its stances on regional issues, in light of its desire to support peaceful solutions to regional crises. 

The King highlighted the need for a unified Arab support to Palestinians as Jordan, the latest summit's president, has been working in coordination with the Egyptian and Palestinian presidents to reach a solution to the Palestinian cause.

The Arab summit was a great opportunity to build bridges of cooperation among Arab countries, who share similar views, in order to face mutual challenges, the King said. 

The US president understands the importance of a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the King explained, adding that Jordan also believes there is no alternative to such a solution, which cannot be reached without cooperation between the US and Russia on all details. 

He stressed that developments in Syria will not be allowed to threaten Jordan, and that the Kingdom will defend itself from any threats “without the need to have a role for the army inside Syria”. 

“This is a principled stand that we maintain and the target remains terrorist groups, on top of which is Daesh.”

His Majesty reassured media leaders on the situation on the northern border, emphasising that the Kingdom is fully capable of dealing with any developments “in accordance with our priorities and interests. “The war on terrorism and Daesh goes beyond Syria and Iraq, and requires a holistic approach worldwide,” he added. 

His Majesty stressed that no Arab nation would benefit from a Sunni-Shiite confrontation.

“We are one nation and disputes are only political ones caused by Iran’s regional policies and its interferences that have to be dealt with.”

On the domestic scene, the King highlighted the need for coordination between media outlets and state agencies in order to provide information to citizens in a transparent manner, noting that there are numerous parties, mostly outside Jordan, that try to spread false news with the aim of creating confusion. 

The rule of law is a corner stone, King Abdullah said, adding that all laws presented by the government to the Parliament were aimed at entrenching the concept of Jordan as a civil state. 

He called on all Jordanians to respect the law as they would when in Dubai, for example. “There should be no one above the law,” he affirmed

Wednesday’s meeting also focused on the most significant local and regional issues and the role of media outlets in reporting them objectively by delivering accurate information to the public.

For their part, those present at the meeting commended His Majesty’s efforts at international events to defend the Arab nation’s causes, on top of which is the Palestinian issue, the statement said, adding that they stressed the importance of strengthening the national front to face regional challenges’ repercussions in the Kingdom. 

They also highlighted people’s confidence in the security situation in the Kingdom due to the high level of trust they have in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies. 

The meeting was attended by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani.