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King-Biden photos speak louder than words

Jul 26,2021 - Last updated at Jul 26,2021

His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Washington and his meetings with senior American officials are deemed “victorious” and very “fruitful” as some American politicians and officials said, paving the way for a bigger role for the Kingdom in the near future. The historic visit of King Abdullah, Her Majesty Queen Rania and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein to Washington has important and symbolic connotations and denotations. 

American President Joe Biden has reiterated the very special relationship between Jordan and the US and between His Majesty and the White House, describing the King as a very loyal friend.  

“I want to welcome back to the White House a good, loyal and decent friend, His Majesty. And we’ve been hanging out together for a long time. I met him back when he was in the situation his son is, when his father was alive and I was a young senator. And it’s good to have him back in the White House. I want to thank you, Your Majesty, for your enduring and strategic relationship with the United States. You’ve always been there, and we will always be there for Jordan”, said Biden in a welcome statement. 

The American president voiced his gratitude to the King for his vital leadership in the Middle East, expressing America’s appreciation for all Jordanian efforts to overcome the pressing challenges in the region, stressing that both the US and Jordan will “continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation”.

Another important meeting was when King Abdullah met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who expressed her pride in US ties with the King and Jordan. Pelosi said: “[I am] honoured to welcome His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan back to the US Capitol and welcome Her Majesty Queen Rania and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah II before a bipartisan meeting. As House Speaker, I take pride in America's relationship with His Majesty”.

She said that King Abdullah “brings a wealth of knowledge, intelligence, strategic thinking and values to these discussions. We always learn so much from him. We're so happy that he's with us in the Capitol today”. 

The incumbent and famous American writer David Ignatius commented on King Abdullah and the Crown Prince’s photo with American president as “delightful picture” telling the whole story. Ignatius said “a jaunty, beaming Jordanian King Abdullah II, followed by his son and heir, the Crown Prince Hussein, accompanied by a smiling President Biden, a delightful photo that will trigger a lot of regional jealousy”.

Ignatius confirmed in his op-ed that the king’s visit is “a reaffirmation of the uniquely close relationship between the White House and Jordan. King Abdullah is the first Arab leader to visit the Biden White House”. 

Albeit, one of the most significant key words by both leaders was "partnership" that will help both Washington and Amman rebuild the region through the concepts of integration and incorporation in terms of militarily and security matters. Therefore, his majesty’s meeting with Biden has been a strategic summit which empowered Jordan to have a very constructive role in the promising Middle East.

 

Iraq, Syria and Jerusalem

 

The King urged president Biden to back Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi during his mission to unite Iraq and stabilise the country. King Abdullah also urged Biden to join a task force to help stabilise Syria, following its cataclysmic ten-year conflict as this will help reach a road map to restore Syria and unite its lands.

The King also warned of “serious consequences” for the absence of unified and serious international efforts towards reaching a political solution that preserves the unity of Syria’s land and people, stressing the pivotal role of the United States in promoting stability in the region and helping achieve peace and prosperity.

On the Palestinian issue, the Jordanian monarch reaffirmed "the need to intensify efforts towards moving the peace process forward and launching negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital".

Jordan’s adjacency to the Palestinian National Authority is very significant as the Kingdom is working hard these days to clarify its stances in regards to the holy sites in East Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship and to resolve  the status quo of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to avoid any future military conflicts.

Political experts believe that during the past four years, Jordan’s foreign policy shifted from being competitor to being guarantor of its national interests because the whole Middle East region has been moving with a quick dynamism to cope with global changes. The king has conveyed this message to the American officials: Amman is doing its utmost to preserve its survival at a critical time and under very hard and challenging circumstances.

American testament of Jordan and its contributions to stability of the Middle East is conducive to secure the kingdom a future role in forming a peaceful stable Middle East based on co-existence, cooperation and partnership. 

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