Senate president lauds ‘strong, strategic’ Jordan-EU relations

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Thursday voiced Jordan’s pride in the “high level” of ties with EU countries in political and economic fields, calling for enhancing these relations and removing any obstacles that might hinder them. 

During a meeting with head of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries (DMAS) Isabel Santos and EU Ambassador Maria Hadjitheodosiou, Fayez lauded the Jordan-EU relations as "strong and strategic," based on mutual respect, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The Senate president said that such meetings would further boost relations, stressing that meetings of parliamentarians for exchange of ideas and on various issues are required.  

He also voiced the Kingdom’s appreciation for the EU and European parliament stances that support His Majesty King Abdullah’s positions towards the peace process in the Middle East. There is no other solution for the Palestinian issue other than international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution, he stressed. 

Fayez also called on the European Parliament to play a more effective role in increasing EU investments in Jordan, increasing commercial exchanges and offering more financial and economic support to the Kingdom to enable it face the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its vital role in the region to realise peace and stability. 

The Senate president added that His Majesty exerts great and continuous efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, noting that Jordan has suffered the most from the regional conflicts and the spread of terrorism and extremism.

In this regard, he said that Jordan today is home to 1.3 million Syrian refugees and is shouldering what big and rich countries could not bear, urging the international community to be aware of the importance of supporting and empowering the Kingdom economically in a bid to support the entire region’s stability.   

Fayez also blamed the international community for its “silence” towards the brutal practices of the Israeli occupation against the rights of the Palestinian people and Israel’s disregard to international legitimacy resolutions, praising at the same time, the EU countries’ support to the just Arab causes. 

Fayez also reviewed Jordan’s reforms, referring to King Abdullah’s directives to execute political reforms aiming to enhance popular participation in the political, partisan and parliamentary life, and granting women and youth a bigger role through engaging them in these reforms.

Santos voiced the European Parliament’s keenness to work with Jordan and support His Majesty’s stances towards various regional issues. 

She also said that the delegation members seek to enhance ties with Jordan and will exert efforts to urge EU countries to offer more economic support to Jordan, appreciating, at the same time, the Kingdom’s major role towards refugees.