Spanish king hails historic Madrid-Amman relations

AMMAN — King Felipe VI of Spain underlined the deep-rooted Madrid-Amman relations in all fields.

During his meeting with the Spanish community in Jordan at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Amman on Saturday evening, the King said, "At this moment, we are also united by a deep desire for peace and dialogue."

"The conflict that began a year ago and brought us images of suffering and destruction in Gaza, and has further exacerbated by its extension to Lebanon, must end as soon as possible," the visiting king said, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

"We want to see an end to the humanitarian tragedy and silence the weapons, so that we can return to the path of politics and diplomacy," he said, calling for "renewed efforts to achieve the two-state solution that lays the foundation for a lasting and enduring peace for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples."

He expressed his happiness at the increasing presence of Spanish companies in Jordan, which contributes to promoting growth, prosperity, and employment in the Kingdom, Petra reported. 

The king said that the workers in Spanish cooperation programmes have carried out distinguished work through non-governmental organisations or the cooperation office at the Spanish embassy, stressing that their work is of particular importance in light of the circumstances and challenges facing the Jordanian society, which, he said, "is familiar to receiving refugees fleeing the ravages of wars."

Earlier on Saturday, King Felipe arrived in Amman on a two-day official visit to Jordan, during which he will meet with His Majesty King Abdullah, according to a Royal Court statement.

HRH Prince Feisal, the escort of honour, and a number of senior officials, as well as Jordan’s ambassador to Spain and Spain’s ambassador to Jordan were present at Queen Alia International Airport to welcome the Spanish monarch, the statement said.