King commends deep-rooted Jordanian-Spanish ties

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah held talks with Spanish King Felipe VI on Friday and stressed that Jordanian-Spanish ties are firm and deep-rooted.

During the meeting, held at the Royal Palace in Madrid, the two leaders also reviewed regional issues and challenges, especially the threat of terrorism and its extremist organisations and ways to counter it with a holistic approach that guarantees world peace and stability.

In addition, they discussed the latest developments in the Syrian arena, calling for finding a comprehensive political solution to end the crisis, according to a Royal Court statement.

Moreover, King Abdullah and King Felipe VI reiterated the importance of increasing bilateral cooperation and coordination on issues of mutual interest and regional developments, and boosting economic cooperation.

The Spanish king expressed his appreciation of King Abdullah’s keenness on developing relations in a way that positively reflects on Jordanian-Spanish ties and serves the interests of both peoples, the statement added.

He also praised King Abdullah’s role in dealing with regional challenges, in addition to Jordan’s efforts in hosting Syrian refugees.

HRH Prince Feisal, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Spanish officials attended the talks.

Also on Friday, His Majesty, accompanied by Prince Feisal, visited the headquarters of the Airbus-affiliated EADS CASA, specialised in manufacturing cargo and military transportation aircraft.

King Abdullah, in the presence of King Felipe VI, listened to a briefing on the company and had a firsthand look at the advanced technology it employs, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty, who returned to the Kingdom later on Friday, also met with several Spanish political and academic leaders and reviewed the challenges and developments in the Middle East and the world, expressing his views on them.

At a meeting hosted by King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid, the King highlighted the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

His Majesty added that realising the gravity of this challenge calls for comprehensive efforts and coordination in order to counter the danger terror poses to people’s lives and future.

King Abdullah highlighted the peaceful and moderate image of Islam, which rejects all forms of violence and extremism.

The international community must intensify its efforts to reach a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state premise, His Majesty said, adding that Jordan condemns all Israeli violations in Jerusalem, especially at Al Haram Al Sharif.

He warned that failure to achieve peace will only increase violence and extremism in the region.

The meeting covered developments in Syria, focusing on the importance of finding a political solution to end the crisis and reviewing the results of the international meeting recently held in Vienna.

For his part, King Felipe VI commended the leadership of King Abdullah in the region and his moderate approach in dealing with its issues.

The Spanish king said His Majesty is the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites, and his efforts promote the peaceful image of Islam and bring followers of different religions closer.

He described the Monarch as a global leader who is capable of facing all challenges, under whose leadership Jordan has become a role model in security, stability, transparency and good governance.

The political and academic Spanish leaders commended His Majesty’s vision in analysing events and Jordan’s pivotal role to achieve peace in the Middle East and fight terror.

Europe, they said, looks to benefit from Jordan’s experience in hosting Syrian refugees to better deal with the refugee crisis it is currently facing.

His Majesty’s visit to Spain was the third leg of a European tour that started last Tuesday in Kosovo, where he met with President Atifete Jahjaga and expressed commitment to enhancing cooperation that would contribute to launching prosperous partnerships.

His Majesty also met Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa and highlighted the importance of expanding ties.

The King’s second stop was Austria, where he held talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer in Vienna on ties, regional developments and anti-terror efforts.

His Majesty also discussed the Syrian crisis with Doris Bures, president of the National Council of Austria, and with the joint committee on foreign affairs and defence at the Austrian parliament and political party leaders.

In addition, he met with members of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and CEOs of several major Austrian companies and highlighted Jordanian-Austrian cooperation at the economic, commercial and investment levels.