Senate President discusses bilateral ties with senior British officials

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez, during his official visit to the UK, has met separately with the Jordan Group in the British Parliament, the Council of Arab Ambassadors in London, and Minister of State for Middle Eastern Affairs Lord (Tariq) Ahmed.

The discussions revolved around the latest regional developments, including the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and explored avenues to enhance Amman-London relations across various sectors, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Friday.

Fayez highlighted the challenges confronting Jordan, emphasising the urgency to halt the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the importance of strengthening bilateral ties, adding that "despite being a politically and security-wise robust nation, Jordan grapples with economic difficulties due to the Israeli aggression and the presence of 1.3 million Syrian refugees.

The Senate president said that foreign aid for Jordan’s response plan to the Syrian crisis, developed in cooperation with the Kingdom’s partners, barely covers 21 per cent of the incurred expenses.

Fayez also expressed gratitude to the UK for its support of the Kingdom's economic development initiatives and urged British lawmakers to push for increased aid to Jordan and monitor the results of the donor conference that the UK hosted in 2019.

Fayez condemned Israel’s war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, famine, and destruction against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He also hailed His Majesty King Abdullah’s "relentless" efforts to halt the Israeli aggression and expose the truth about these atrocities. Fayez asserted that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution, is the sole path to resolving regional conflicts and fostering peace.

Chairman and members of the British Parliament’s Jordan committee expressed their admiration for the Jordanian-British relations in diverse areas. They also commended Amman’s crucial role in addressing regional issues and maintaining peace and security under the King’s leadership.