King meets US secretary of state, key lawmakers

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday met with the US Senate leadership, and the chairs and members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Armed Services at the House of Representatives, as well as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The Capitol Hill meetings, partly attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, covered ways to enhance Jordan-US cooperation in various areas, particularly in the economic and military fields, according to a Royal Court statement.

Discussions also addressed renewing the memorandum of understanding on US economic support for Jordan for the coming years.

The two sides discussed the programmes and reforms implemented by Jordan to bolster its economic resilience in the face of regional challenges.

King Abdullah voiced Jordan’s appreciation of the US' support to enable the Kingdom to implement development programmes and shoulder the burden of the Syrian refugee crisis, commending the Congress major role in this regard.

Turning to the Palestinian issue, His Majesty affirmed the importance of pushing the Palestinian-Israeli peace process forward, based on the two-state solution and international terms of reference, arriving at the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel.

Reaching a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue will bring security and stability to the entire region, the King said.

The meetings also covered developments in the Middle East and efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises.

Commenting on the Syrian crisis, His Majesty said the tripartite agreement between Jordan, the US and Russia to secure a ceasefire in southern Syria and establish a de-escalation zone will help create an environment conducive to reaching a political solution through the Geneva process.

In the fight against terrorism, the King stressed the importance of intensifying international coordination and cooperation within a holistic approach.

For their part, the US lawmakers commended Jordan’s positions, led by His Majesty, on various regional issues, as well as the King’s efforts to bolster peace and stability in the region.

At the meeting with Secretary of State Tillerson — held within the ongoing Jordanian-US coordination and consultation — discussions covered regional and international developments, in addition to efforts to jumpstart the peace process.

The two sides affirmed the need to support efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises, and restore security and stability for the region’s peoples.

His Majesty reiterated the importance of the US’ role in securing peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Discussions at the meeting also covered developments in Syria and Iraq, in addition to regional and international efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic strategy.

 Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury and Jordan’s Ambassador in Washington, DC, Dina Kawar attended the meetings.