AMMAN — His Majesty
King Abdullah on Tuesday
continued his meetings with senior US officials to discuss ways to take
bilateral ties to a new level.
اضافة اعلان
Joined by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His
Majesty met with the director of the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) Samantha Power to discuss Jordan-US cooperation in the
development sector and efforts to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on various sectors
through a “recovery plan.”
During the meeting, His Majesty and Power
reviewed projects supported by the US Agency for International Development in
the Kingdom, and the programs it implements in the sectors of water, economic
development, education, and health care.
His Majesty expressed his appreciation for
the agency's support for the Kingdom's programs in mitigating the COVID-19
pandemic’s economic and social repercussions and paving the way for a gradual
recovery, citing the United States' recent shipment of 500,000 vaccines to
Jordan.
For her part, Power expressed her
appreciation over Jordan's hosting of refugees.
Later in the day, His Majesty also met with
US Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss deepening strategic ties and
cooperation between Jordan and the United States.
During the meeting, His Majesty and Harris
touched on US support for the Kingdom, development projects, and other topics regarding
the environment, climate change, and its impact on natural resources. They also
discussed recent developments in the Middle East, calling for concerted efforts
to prevent new escalations between Palestine and Israel.
For his part, His Majesty reiterated his
commitment to preserving the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem,
especially when it comes to Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
Regarding the pressure borne by Jordan as a
result of hosting more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, His Majesty called on
the international community to shoulder the responsibility, pointing out that the
Kingdom was at the forefront of countries that inoculated refugees.
King Abdullah expressed his appreciation to
the US administration for providing the necessary assistance and vaccinations
to combat the pandemic.
During his visit on Tuesday, His Majesty also
met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd to review prospects for cooperation in the
military and security fields.
His Majesty later met with US Secretary of
Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, where they discussed Jordan's accession
to the Global Entry Program to speed up the entry process for Jordanian
travelers to US airports. King Abdullah and Mayorkas delved into the “Aqaba
Process Meetings” initiative, which was launched by His Majesty to boost
cooperation between regional and international parties in the fight against
terrorism.
King Abdullah praised the level of mutual
understanding between Jordan and the US on the challenges facing the Middle
East region.
In a statement commencing his meeting with
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, His Majesty contended that Jordan will continue
its cooperation with the US to address developments in the Middle East.
Blinken stated that the Royal visit to
Washington is only a reflection of the powerful bond between Jordan and the
United States.
He added that Jordan-US ties date back decades,
citing Jordan’s role in maintaining peace and stability in the region,
especially in its efforts to quash Daesh and terrorism.
His Majesty and Blinken also discussed
Israel and Palestine, with His Majesty stressing the US’ pivotal role in
pushing for a just solution and the importance of putting an end to unilateral
Israeli aggression.
His Majesty also met with US Secretary of
the Treasury Janet Yellen to discuss bilateral cooperation, with King Abdullah
expressing his appreciation for the United States' efforts in supporting development
projects in Jordan.
For her part, the US official underlined
the depth of Jordan’s partnership with the US, noting the economic challenges
that the Kingdom faced, which were exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Yellen commended the Kingdom for
implementing reforms to promote sustainable growth and increase employment.
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