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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.

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Wednesday attended drills carried out by units of the Royal Artillery, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Freihat listened to a military briefing by cadres organising the drill.

The drill included live fire exercises using various weapons.

At the end of the drill, Freihat visited an exhibition showcasing weapons and equipment used in the Royal Artillery.

The drill was also attended by the chief of operations and training, the military attaché of the UAE, members of the Jordanian Armed Forces-the Arab Army, delegates from the UAE and the US armies.

AMMAN — Economic problems topped challenges that face the Kingdom, according to 81 per cent of the national sample that responded to a recent opinion poll, whose findings were announced on Wednesday.

Conducted by the University of Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) one year after the formation of Prime Minister Hani Mulki’s second government, economic problems were regarded as the top concern of 84 per cent of opinion leaders.

The survey divides respondents into two categories: grassroots — or the “national sample” — and opinion leaders, according to CSS website. 

In the poll, the national sample consisted of 1,824 individuals above the age of 18 with an equal representation of men and women, who were chosen from 162 locations nationwide, while the opinion leaders sample included a random group of 700 people categorised into seven groups of 100 member each, according to the centre.

Conducted between October 15 and 24, the poll involved a total of 52 field researchers, with a margin of error of 2.5 per cent.

Forty-one per cent of the national sample believed that things were going in the right direction in Jordan, registering a 7 per cent drop from April’s survey.

On the other hand, 34 per cent of opinion leaders said that things were on the right track, going down by 21 per cent from the previous poll, which was carried out 200 days after the formation of Mulki's government.

In the most recent survey, more than one third of the national sample said they believed that the government was able to shoulder its responsibilities in the "past phase" (Cabinet with 35 per cent, premier alone 34 per cent and the ministerial team excluding the premier with 34 per cent), marking a 9 per cent drop from April poll. 

Opinion leaders gave the government a better evaluation for shouldering its responsibilities (Cabinet with 39 per cent, premier alone 41 per cent and the ministerial team excluding the premier 40 per cent), yet the assessment dropped by more than 8 per cent compared with April poll, according to the CSS. 

The national sample’s reasons for the government’s perceived “inability” to shoulder responsibilities were mainly attributed to economic conditions, high unemployment rates (38 per cent), lack of achievements and reforms (23 per cent), the government’s failure in addressing corruption (14 per cent). 

On the other side, the opinion leaders’ assessment was based on weak performance of the premier and the ministerial team (26 per cent), lack of achievements and reforms (24 per cent) and weak planning and management (16 per cent), among others.

Poll results showed a slight drop in the assessment of national sample and opinion leaders of the government’s ability to address main issues listed in the Royal Letter of Designation.

On this issue, findings showed a decline in the national sample’s evaluation from 48 per cent in April to 45 per cent in this poll, while opinion leaders’ assessment dropped from 54 to 46 per cent.

As for the national sample’s assessment to the economic conditions of their families, 57 per cent of them said that their current conditions are worse than a year ago, 11 per cent said their conditions are better than a year ago, while 32 per cent said that their conditions were still the same.

As for personal economic outlook in the next 12 months, 44 per cent of the grassroots sample said their status would be worse than now, 26 per cent expected them to improve and 25 per cent said that their conditions would not change.

Regarding the Kingdom’s current economic conditions, compared to the past 12 months, 70 per cent of opinion leaders said that current conditions are worse than a year ago, 25 per cent said they are the same and only 5 per cent said that Jordan’s economic status improved.

As for expectations on the country’s economic conditions, 19 per cent of opinion leaders expressed their optimism of having better conditions, while 49 per cent said that the economic situation would become worse.

Twenty-eight of the national sample said that electricity is the biggest burden on their families’ budgets, followed by food and beverages with 24 per cent, homes (13 per cent), higher education (11 per cent) and health (10 per cent).

On their responses to economic challenges, 34 per cent of the national sample said they chose to reduce expenditure, 27 per cent delayed buying expensive goods and services, while 20 per cent had to borrow to buy needs and face high costs of living. 

AMMAN — The Committee of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday organised a conference titled “ASEAN and the Middle East: Trajectories for future relations” in Amman, in collaboration with the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy (JID) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The lecture was delivered by Philips Jusario Vermonte, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Jakarta and expert in political science, and conducted by JID Director Lina Arafat and Indonesian Ambassador Andy Rachmianto. 

The event, aimed at enhancing the mutual understanding about the geo-political and geo-economic situation in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, was attended by several government officials, ambassadors, businesspeople, scholars and stakeholders. 

During the lecture, Vermonte noted that the Middle East and Southeast Asia share a common ground in their religious beliefs, and highlighted the importance of maintaining internal and regional peace and security, and the richness in people-to-people relationships.

The expert also pointed out that countries in both regions have established several cooperations related to security and the fight against terrorism, including the exchange of defence equipment and expertise. 

“On the economic side, the trade cooperation between ASEAN and the Middle East has been long established through a multi-commodity, trade-based economy and the food for oil trade framework, as well as the expanded cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League with ASEAN,” Vermonte said. 

“But the economic cooperation can only be strengthened if there are strong practical needs and political will,” the expert continued, noting that Jordan “showed a friendly gesture towards the cooperation with ASEAN countries by appointing its ambassador to ASEAN in 2015”.

However, Vermonte criticised the fact that only Morocco and Egypt have signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, pointing out that this agreement is “fundamental” to all ASEAN countries. 

For her part, Arafat expressed Jordan’s keenness “to address all human rights issues, and work towards the assurance of interregional peace and security”.

Answering an attendee’s question, Rachmianto stressed that “Indonesia sides with the independence of Palestine and shares the Palestinians’ struggle.”

The ambassador concluded the lecture by expressing his thoughts about the Rohingya crisis, explaining that “this is a key issue for ASEAN, we strongly condemn the situation, and we have been discussing possibilities to increase the humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya Muslims.”

AMMAN — “Being a good human being is more important than being a world-recognised artist,” said Pakistani artist Jimmy Engineer, who devoted his life to helping the disadvantaged people in his country.

In “Lines That Talk”, his latest exhibition showcased at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts under the patronage of HRH Princess Sarvath, the artist portrays daily scenes of the poorest communities from his native Pakistan.

“I walked for a year to visit every single village in Pakistan in order to see and feel what the poorest of the poor go through,” Engineer, who said that he walked more than 4,000 kilometres across his country, told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the exhibition.

The simplicity of the material used in his work — lines drawn by a black pencil on a blank canvas — conveys the spirit he has embraced throughout his life. “I did not live my life like a normal artist, I gave up everything I owned, every material possession and all my money which I gave to the poor, the blind, the disabled people and any less fortunate,” he explained.

“My country is my top priority and I want to give back because I was thankful. I help people for the sake of my soul and I want to encourage people to give without a motive,” the artist, who calls himself “the son of Pakistan” said, stressing “do it and forget it, don’t make your givings something to be talked about.”

The drawings, which portray daily scenes of Pakistani villages, convey a strong emotional message of simplicity. Two brothers playing, a mother caring for her child, a group of labourers resting on a mat are some of the scenes depicted by Engineer.

“I wanted to show the poor people who have nothing and make them feel special. These people I met only have their dream that, one day, someone will come down and help them,” the artist, who received over 70 international awards and medals, said.

“Engineer’s work represents his deep engagement with his society and his commitment to defend and respect humanity,” said Reem Badran, board member of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, adding “he has the passion to bring cultures closer and his love to give endlessly to the poor, to the needy and to the world”.

Engineer’s history with Jordan started in 1979, when he met with HRH Princess Wijdan who was on an official visit to Pakistan. At an exhibition presenting her with a number of local artists’ paintings, the princess was touched by Engineer’s work, whom she invited to visit the Kingdom.

His work, which remains widely undocumented as he gives his pieces away to charities and auctions for social causes, are expressions of his compassion for the people he has met. “I don’t need my life to be documented because I help people for the sake of my soul,” the man, who calls himself a social worker and a humanitarian, concluded.

The exhibition will run through November 25.

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday denounced the cowardly terrorist attack that took place on Tuesday in southwest Manhattan in New York City targeting a crowd of pedestrians, killing several innocent people and injuring others, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that the “cowardly terrorist crime reaffirms that the terrorists are the forces of darkness with their destructive ideas and their hostility to humanity and life”.

He renewed Jordan’s call for concerted global efforts to combat terrorist ideologies. 

Momani expressed the condolences of the Jordanian government to the American government and people, as well as the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

AMMAN — Girls and boys from across the Kingdom on Saturday gathered at UNICEF Jordan to sign a five-year volunteer contract that aims at activating youth engagement in different governorates.  

The Youth Advisory Council was established to advise UNICEF on its various youth initiatives, and consists of 60 members between the ages of 10 and 24 from different demographics, including Syrian refugees, people with disabilities, as well as rural Jordanians.   

“The idea was to address young people’s concerns about our programmes and increase youth involvement in our initiatives,” said UNICEF Jordan’s Youth and Adolescent Development Officer Besan Abdel Qader, stressing that “young people need to be partners and not beneficiaries”. 

The organisation also launched a Youth Advisory Board consisting of eight appointed members to represent and voice the issues of a specific community that includes Syrian refugees, those living in Palestinian camps, out of school adolescents and unemployed youth, among others. 

“Their role is to advise UNICEF on how to strategically tackle issues affecting youth in different parts of society. They will be researchers, peer educators, consultants who will suggest areas of improvement,” Abdel Qader told The Jordan Times in a phone interview. 

The council members were selected through a two-step process: first by securing a place in a previously-implemented UNICEF programme, such as the Child Municipal Council, Jeel 962 and Innovation Lab, and later by an election ran by their peers.

Saturday’s event witnessed the participation of over 50 youth who were briefed on their roles, objectives and responsibilities for the next five years. “The themes of ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ were repeated over and over again,” Abdel Qader noted. 

She said that the creation of the council was based on a two-fold approach: addressing issues affecting youth in different communities and increasing the youth’s sense of confidence and their leadership skills. 

“You feel committed and responsible,” said council member Ghassan Hilow, adding “many people my age haven’t had the chance to sign a contract, let alone advise [an organisation] on what projects to launch or which initiatives to take.” 

The 24-year-old, who has been volunteering with UNICEF for the past four years, said he looks forward to their upcoming plans. 

“We will be meeting on a regular basis to exchange ideas and expertise in the field of volunteerism. We want to help increase youth participation in different governorates, not just in quantity but also in quality. We want people to work hard in their communities and be effective agents of change,” he added. 

AMMAN — “In a world full of conflict, the beauty of nature remains, and like a flower grows naturally, we are all born free.” This is the message that artist Rana Sunaij aims to deliver with “Harmony”, her latest solo exhibition at the Wadi Finan Art Gallery where the artist has been exposing her work over the past two years. 

The art show was inaugurated on October 24 under the patronage of HRH Princess Wijdan, and its doors will remain open through November 4. 

“I have been working on the human connection with nature and its four elements over the past two years, and this triggered an evolution in my inner self,” the artist told The Jordan Times in a recent interview, noting that she became “aware of the beauty of the world, and how we become all the same when we eliminate the constraints of the urban daily life”.

“I have always been fascinated by the human expression, how our faces change from happiness to sadness, the human body and its transformation — just like when a flower blossoms, we are always growing and changing, and that makes us beautiful,” she continued. 

Acrylic and pastel over corrugated cardboard are the materials used by the artist to transfer her inner evolution and ideas onto the paintings, which showcase the harmonious connection between the faces of women and the flowers in nature, with a pantone where dark and bright colours coexist. 

This exhibition’s theme strikingly differs from the artist’s last show, which was centred around the portrayal of children. However, the core elements remain the same. 

“It is still connected to nature, humanity, and the search of oneself, to find that we all belong to this universe,” Sunaij said. 

When asked about what inspires her, the artist talked about her Syrian origins, the many casualties of life, and the artists she met during her education. 

“Born in Damascus, I entered the world wide-eyed and surrounded by a big, loving family where everyone was creative. My passion for anything related to fine arts began at a very young age, and after studying literature in the University of Damascus, I left to California to follow my dream of studying art. However, after getting married to an Australian diplomat, my path changed and it took me to Egypt, and thus began my nomadic life,” Sunaij explained. 

“I was influenced by every country,” she continued, noting how her paintings carry the turquoise and yellow of Sri Lanka, and the faces of the people from Rome and Cairo.

“There is so much beauty in this world despite the current conflicts, it only depends on ourselves to be capable of seeing it or not, and it is our minds that shape our reality in the end,” the artist concluded.  

AMMAN — Rana Dajani, an associate professor at the Hashemite University, has been selected by the Radcliffe Foundation for Advanced Study at Harvard University as one of the fellows in the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Programme (RIFP), becoming the first professor at a Jordanian university to achieve such recognition. 

“There might be other Jordanian scholars residing in Western countries who have been granted this scholarship, but I am the first one to receive it while residing and working in Jordan,” Dajani told The Jordan Times, noting that “the idea is to be able to achieve such recognitions while doing science within the constraints of one’s own country, and to build one’s own country regardless of the challenges.”

Ibraheem Atmahat, spokesperson at the Hashemite University, said that “the university is proud of this accomplishment”, expressing that they want to “encourage Dajani in this international experience”.

Each year, RIFP selects a total of 50 leading academics worldwide and grants them with a one-year fellowship, in order to create an “interdisciplinary, international community of fellows across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences”, according to the institution’s official website. 

Dajani’s profile on the programme highlights her position as an authority on the genetics of the Circassian and Chechen populations in Jordan, and her research focuses on the genome-wide studies concerning diabetes and cancer in stem cells. 

Furthermore, the program also notes Dajani’s advocacy for the establishment of the law for stem cell research and therapy in Jordan. 

Each fellow spends the year working on an individual project, benefiting from the support of the multidisciplinary community at Harvard University. 

“I want to take the time at Harvard to explore new research, and to write a book where I will share my perspective as a Muslim, Arab and female scientist,” said the scholar, whose project aims to document the challenges that women face in academia and how they vary across cultures, religions and disciplines.

“I want to write about this topic because it is relevant not only to our part of the world, but the whole world” continued Dajani, noting that “the challenges faced by women are the same worldwide”. 

“Moreover, I want to dispel stereotypes and myths through this book to counter the media images,” said the scholar, expressing that “Arab, Muslim women are strong, givers and doers, and I want to make sure that the women in our part of the world can learn from others while maintaining their identity and who they are.”

When asked about her shift to social sciences, Dajani pointed out that “as a scientist, we hold an obligation towards society to share our knowledge”, adding that “to do good science, you have to be interdisciplinary”.

“As I go into new realms, I am always learning, expanding my horizons and challenging myself — it is exhilarating,” she expressed. 

Before embarking on RIFP, Dajani wrote in “Nature” magazine about education and women in the Arab world, and she was also featured on the “Arabian Business” magazine’s list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women”. 

Furthermore, Dajani is the founder and director of the NGO “We Love Reading”, for which she has earned the Library of Congress Literacy Award Best Practices, a Stars Impact Award, the Synergos Arab World Social Innovator Award, a WISE Award, and recognition from IDEO.org.

A 2014 Eisenhower Fellow and a member of Al Hussein’s Order for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class, Dajani earned a PhD in molecular cell biology from the University of Iowa.

Her work is now being showcased at the Visual Intelligence exhibition at Harvard University, which introduces the 2017-2018 Radcliffe fellows and the projects they will embark on during their programme. 

AMMAN — A labour report on vocational health and safety conditions for workers in the northern region’s municipalities indicated an increase of work injuries among employees.

This came as a result of working in hazardous circumstances and dealing with waste, President of Jordan Labour Watch (JLW) Ahmad Awad told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday.

The report, issued by JLW, affiliated with Phoenix Centre for Economic and Information Studies, said that the list of municipalities’ workers includes cleaners, drivers of waste management vehicles, those who work with pesticides and fertilisers, electricity technicians and agriculture workers.

Testimonies of workers showed that numerous injuries take place but do not get reported since the workers are afraid of getting fired or reprimanded for failing to wear safety gear, according to the report, which was published in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The report also included testimonies from workers about  the low-quality and fragile equipment that they did not use in fear of damaging them, and being forced to pay for a replacement. 

The report stated that the situation of the employees working in the northern municipalities is “ignored” by the concerned authorities.

According to the report, the number of workers in those municipalities amounts to 18,000, of which 25 per cent are females in the four greater municiplaites, Irbid, Jerash, Mafraq and Ajloun.

For the workers’ salaries, the report described them as low since the majority of the incomes range between JD220 and JD400.

Regarding working hours and time off, it said that they work six days a week and sometimes they’re “obliged” to even work on  Fridays, while the law clearly states that employees should only work on Fridays voluntarily. 

The JLW president called for amending the labour law related to establishing labour associations for all workers, who get paid in Jordan, in addition to amending the Civil Service Law to facilitate establishing associations.

Awad also called for amending articles that are related to workers’ rights. 

He stressed the importance of paying overtime in accordance with the law, which stipulates paying 150 per cent more than the regular wage.

The president reiterated the importance of improving health and safety criteria, raising safety awareness among workers, regulating the quality of equipment, and monitoring the workers’ commitment to safety standards.