Mulki, Fayez meet Georgian lawmaker

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Tuesday discussed with Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze bilateral ties and boosting economic, political and trade cooperation.

During the meeting, Mulki outlined the challenges facing Jordan due to the regional turmoil, including the Syrian crisis and border closures, which contributed to shrinking the volume of Jordan’s trade with European countries.

The prime minister said that “most of the challenges facing the region stem from not solving the central Palestinian issue”, stressing that finding a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would restore stability and prosperity to the Middle East.

He reiterated Jordan’s stance related to the Palestinian issue, which is based on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-June 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.

As for the Syrian conflict, he stressed that the absence of prospects for a political solution that safeguards the war-torn country’s territory will leave “dark shadows on the future of the region”.

The premier expressed delight over defeating Daesh in Iraq.

For his part, Kobakhidze said that both countries’ strategic locations and the free-trade agreements with many countries would stimulate factors to boost economic cooperation.

Also on Tuesday, Senate President Faisal Fayez met with the Georgian lawmaker and discussed the international community’s role in ending the crisis of the Syrian people and reaching a political solution.

Fayez said that Jordan was the most affected country by the Syrian crisis, noting that the Kingdom currently hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees, which has ensued in costs amounting to $10.3 billion despite the scarcity of resources and the lack of international commitment to provide sufficient support.