Fayez, Tarawneh talk ties with Kenya assembly speaker

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday met with Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi over prospects of furthering bilateral ties in the political, economic and parliamentary fields, as well as the latest regional developments.

Fayez, during the meeting, called for increased trade exchange and investments to serve the best interests of both countries, expressing Jordan's keenness to share expertise in the fields of pharmaceutical industry, medical tourism, construction and chemical industries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Talks also covered the current regional conditions and the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan, outlining the economic impacts caused by hosting around 1.3 million Syrian refugees.

Jordan is capable of safeguarding its security and stability despite the political turmoil and economic challenges resulting from the surrounding conflicts, Fayez added.

The Kingdom believes that regional security and stability are linked to a fair solution to the Palestinian cause on the basis of the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy, according to Fayez.

He also called for intensifying efforts to reach a political solution to Syrian crisis, which preserves Syrian territorial integrity and the unity of the people, and secures the voluntary return of refugees. 

For his part, Muturi highlighted the importance of bolstering Jordanian-Kenyan ties, as well as unifying stances and efforts in all international conferences, mainly towards combating terrorism and extremism.

Also on Tuesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh discussed with his Kenyan counterpart the continued Israeli incursions against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine, calling for a decisive stance to halt practices that sabotage peace efforts.

Tarawneh expressed the Kingdom's solidarity with Kenya, which has been affected by the attacks by the Boko Haram terror group, commending Nairobi's efforts made to manage the situation.