Senate president stresses Kingdom’s need for support, cooperation during Paris meetings

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Wednesday called on the French military to increase its aid to Jordan, in order to strengthen the Kingdom in its pivotal role in the war on terrorism. 

Fayez made his remarks during talks in Paris with the French Secretary of State to the Minister of the Armed Forces Geneviève Darrieussecq, as part of his official visit to France at the invitation of the president of France’s senate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.

The discussion raised the importance of continuing Jordanian-French cooperation in various fields, especially security and military, to continue the war against terrorism and extremism.

In addition, the meeting covered strengthening security cooperation and exchanging intelligence, expertise and training to serve the interests of the two countries. 

Fayez said that terrorism is "a threat to everyone and has no religion, country or gender". 

He noted that His Majesty King Abdullah has often stressed that combatting terrorism is not confined to a specific country, but rather, is the duty of the entire international community. 

He added that Jordanians consider battling ideology the most important and dangerous aspect of the fight against terrorism and extremism, and for this reason, Jordan, under the guidance of His Majesty, launched the “Amman Message”.

The Amman Message shows a tolerant view of Islam and calls for strengthening common denominators between the followers of different religions. It is a message that spreads love, tolerance and acceptance of others, he added. 

During the meeting, Darrieussecq expressed her appreciation for the crucial role Jordan plays in supporting international efforts to end conflict in the Middle East and combat terrorism and extremism. 

Also on Wednesday, Fayez met with Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee of the French Senate Allen Mellon and committee members, to discuss aspects of joint cooperation, especially in the humanitarian and social fields, according to Petra. 

He presented the region's latest developments and the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan.

Fayez also highlighted that Jordan has received many waves of refugees, the last of which consisted of 1,300,000 Syrians, 75 per cent of whom live outside refugee camps, where Jordan provides them with work and a decent life. 

The Senate president pointed out that the cost of hosting Syrian refugees until the end of 2017 amounted to $10.3 billion, while the international community has provided Jordan with only a quarter of this amount. 

He also called for increasing French aid to Jordan in various fields, and expressed that the Kingdom is interested, through the Ministry of Social Development, to sign a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and its French counterpart on issues of social protection (family care and support for people with disabilities, the elderly and children, among others). 

Mellon affirmed that France is keen to assist Jordan in various fields, especially in the field of supporting and caring for Syrian refugees and equipping the local communities hosting them in Jordan. 

In the framework of his official visit, Fayez and his accompanying delegation on Wednesday met the president of the Senate’s French-Jordanian Friendship Committee and the president of the French-Jordanian Parliamentary Friendship Committee.

The meeting dealt with the current situation in the Middle East, the need to work to resolve regional disputes and the application of international legitimacy decisions related to the Palestinian cause. 

Fayez also highlighted the importance of French businesspeople and investors taking advantage of investment opportunities in the Kingdom, given its safe and business-friendly environment.