Spanish Senate president reviews ties with Fayez, Tarawneh

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Thursday urged the European Union to extend more economic support to Jordan to be able to address the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 Fayez's remarks came during a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pío García-Escudero, who is heading a parliamentary delegation on an official visit to the Kingdom.

"The international community must honour its humanitarian, moral and legal responsibilities, and exert serious efforts to bring back stability to Syria," Fayez said.

The two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, international anti-terrorism efforts and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially parliament, economy and tourism, according to Petra. 

In a separate meeting with Escudero, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh reiterated the mutual position of Amman and Madrid that a political solution is the only way to end regional crises, Petra said.

The speaker voiced Jordan's appreciation for the Spanish stance on the Palestinian issue, especially recognising the Palestinian state and voting against changing the legal and historical status of Jerusalem at the UN General Assembly, according to Petra.

In both meetings, Escudero said that Spain "highly appreciates" Jordan's humanitarian role in hosting refugees, stressing that the Spanish Senate has already begun urging EU member states' national parliaments to increase their financial support to Jordan.

In regard of the Palestinian cause, he stressed his country's support to the two-state solution as the only path for peace and stability, reiterating Madrid's rejection of changing the status quo in Jerusalem and support of the Hashemite Custodianship of the city's holy shrines. 

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah,    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Jamal Sarayreh also held talks with Escudero and the accompanying delegation that focused on bilateral relations and regional developments. 

During the meeting, Sarayreh voiced Jordan's appreciation for Spain's rejection of the US decision to move the Washington embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to Petra.

Sarayreh reaffirmed Jordan's support to Madrid's legitimate efforts to safeguard Spain's territorial unity, Petra said.

The minister also stressed the need for more efforts to bolster the Jordanian-Spanish economic cooperation, especially in trade, investment and tourism, voicing the Kingdom's interest in benefitting from the Spanish expertise in renewable energy.

For his part, Escudero voiced his country's keenness on enhancing its strategic relations with Jordan in all fields, according to Petra.