King commends US support to Jordan

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday met with US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in Washington and discussed ways to boost cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic fields. 

King Abdullah expressed his appreciation of US financial aid, as part of the annual support programme, as well as in loan guarantees, which helped the Kingdom issue bonds successfully in the international financial market, thus reducing borrowing costs. 

Lew affirmed that the US will continue to support Jordan at economic and developmental levels, and also help it deal with the repercussions of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees. 

He also praised the King’s vision in dealing with challenges facing the Middle East and his efforts to achieve peace and enhance security and stability.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan attended the meeting, according to a Royal Court statement. 

On Wednesday, King Abdullah held another round of talks with US Congress leaders that focused on bilateral ties and means to develop them at all levels. 

The King met with House of Representatives Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard Buck McKeon and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, according to another Royal Court statement. 

The Monarch commended US support to Jordan, especially development and military assistance. 

The congressional leaders underlined the significance of helping the Kingdom economically through development projects, annual grants and loan guarantees to help it overcome current challenges. 

Discussions also covered efforts to combat terrorism, where King Abdullah stressed the need for Arabs and Muslims to lead efforts to confront terrorism and extremism with the help of the international community. 

In addition, he called for supporting Egypt to help it combat terrorism in Sinai and assume its “key and pivotal” role in the region, the statement said. 

Discussions also tackled the situation in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian crisis and ways to establish safe zones inside Syria to protect civilians. 

The congressional leaders voiced their country’s commitment to supporting Jordan to enable it to continue its humanitarian role towards the refugees, citing His Majesty’s efforts to fight terrorism and bring about peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, according to the statement.