Furthering Jordanian-Russian ties

His Majesty King Abdullah concluded a three-day visit to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The discussions touched on a range of local, as well as pressing regional and international issues, on which there was a broad meeting of the minds.

At bilateral level, the two leaders praised the excellent relations between their countries and tackled several issues, including the need to extend extra support to joint economic projects, especially in the field of nuclear energy, with a Russian firm expected to build Jordan’s first nuclear energy plant.

The Syrian crisis was naturally of prominence in the talks between the two leaders, with both agreeing on the need to find a political solution to the multifaceted conflict in this Arab country.

Jordan recognises that Moscow can play an important role in solving the Syrian problem, now in its fifth year, which left more than 250,000 people dead, many more wounded, totally wrecked this ancient country and created an unprecedented refugee crisis the like of which the world has not seen since World War II.

Moscow is a major supporter of Damascus and can wield much influence on how the crisis in Syria can be brought to a peaceful resolution.

Also in the region, and mostly stemming from the chaos in Syria and Iraq, Jordan and Russia realise the need to join efforts to combat terrorism, a common concern and objective that is becoming, or should become, a concern for the world at large.

No country is immune to acts of terror conceived by extremists bent on spreading their control far and wide, and as such, global cooperation should be seriously considered by all.

The Palestinian issue also figured high in the talks, with the King expressing desire to “bring Israelis and Palestinians closer together to find a peaceful solution to that long and difficult conflict”.

Jordan strongly believes that the Palestinian conflict lies at the core of the Middle Eastern problems. Its resolution is long overdue.

The Monarch’s visit to Russia, certainly contributes to cementing already solid ties between the two countries, to the benefit of both peoples.