US Senate delegation commends Kingdom’s approach to regional challenges, reform system

AMMAN — Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Sunday received a delegation from the US Senate, with both sides reaffirming the "strategic" bilateral relations.

During a meeting at the Prime Ministry, Khasawneh voiced appreciation for the US support for Jordan's development efforts, according to a Prime Ministry statement. 

Khasawneh cited the support and assistance provided by the US under the Fourth Memorandum of Understanding on the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, emphasising its role in advancing the process of development and economic reform within the framework of Jordan's Economic Modernisation Vision and the public sector modernisation roadmap.

Khasawneh hailed the US Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives, for their positive role in supporting the Kingdom’s development efforts. He also outlined the comprehensive modernisation project currently underway in Jordan, spanning political, economic and administrative fields.

The Economic Modernisation Vision aims to accelerate economic growth to approximately 5.5 per cent and generate one million job opportunities for Jordanians over the next decade. 

Khasawneh also noted that in 2022 alone, 89,500 job opportunities were created, with 72 per cent of these in the private sector, marking a significant increase compared with the annual creation of about 50,000 job opportunities over the past decade.

Khasawneh also briefed the delegation on King Abdullah’s efforts to halt Israeli aggression against Gaza, achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities, and deliver urgent humanitarian and medical aid to the people of Gaza. He also mentioned the airdrops of aid conducted by Jordan in Gaza, both independently and in cooperation with other countries, including the US.

The Prime Minister also said that regional security and stability can only be guaranteed through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, comprising the West Bank and Gaza Strip along the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with a two-state solution, adding that the absence of this solution could fuel violence and extremism in the region and the world.

Khasawneh also underscored the importance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), given its crucial role in providing essential services to the people of Gaza and in its areas of operation in the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Members of the delegation commended Jordan’s approach to addressing regional challenges and commended the content of King Abdullah’s recent speech during his visit to the US, particularly regarding the situation in the West Bank and Gaza. They also emphasised the importance of Jordan’s reform system in all fields.

The delegation included Senator Cory Booker of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Michael Bennet of the Senate Committee, and several advisors.