Regent, premier meet with US representatives over partnership, region

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, the Regent, on Wednesday received a US House of Representatives delegation, headed by MP Jeffrey Denham (R-Turlock).

Prince Feisal discussed with the congressmen, who represent the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership between Jordan and the US, particularly in the economic field, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, addressed burdens resulting from the Syrian refugee crisis and the tremendous pressure it posed on the infrastructure and service sectors in the Kingdom, the statement said. 

Prince Feisal and the delegates also went over regional crises and efforts aimed at implementing political solutions that would bring about peace and stability in the area.

The lawmakers underlined Jordan’s pivotal role, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, in enhancing security and stability in the Middle East, according to the Royal Court. 

They also commended the Kingdom’s endeavours in providing essential educational and health services to the Syrian refugees, emphasising, at the same time, the need to support Jordan to enable it to cope with the mounting burdens arising from hosting large numbers of refugees.

Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hani Mulki met separately with the congressmen, with talks also focused on bilateral relations and the latest regional developments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Mulki acquainted the MPs with the economic challenges imposed by the unstable regional conditions and the Syrian crisis’ repercussions on Jordan, adding that border closures with neighbouring countries had had negative impacts on the Kingdom’s exports and growth rates.

The premier added that receiving some 1.3 million Syrian refugees placed great pressures on the Kingdom’s infrastructure, especially in the educational sector, where plenty of schools have changed to the two-shift system due to the overcrowding in classrooms, referring also to other sectors strained under the refugee crisis such as health, water and labour.

In this regard, he reiterated Jordan’s stance that calls for a political solution to the Syrian crisis in a way that guarantees the unity and security of Syria, and ensures the return of refugees to their homeland.

The international community has helped Jordan establish some service-oriented projects to host communities and refugees alike, yet operational costs for infrastructure schemes have not always been met and started draining a portion of the state budget, Mulki said, expressing hope that donor countries would extend direct support to the budget as the US does. 

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of the US’ cooperation with Arab countries to bring back the Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table to implement a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state formula. 

In this regard, he stressed that the region will not enjoy peace and stability without a solution to the Palestinian problem.

For their part, the delegates voiced their keenness to further boost relations between the US and Jordan at all levels. They also expressed their understanding of the magnitude of the burdens Jordan is bearing as a result of hosting Syrian refugees, underlining the significance of further international assistance to the Kingdom to help it continue playing its positive role in the Middle East.