It is indeed a victory. How else can we describe such a
large package of political achievements His Majesty King Abdullah carried home
from his US visit? It was a strategic visit, with a very busy schedule, every
day of which ended with new additions to His Majesty's record of success as the
first leader from the region to meet the new US president and administration.
اضافة اعلان
The outcome is a new chapter for Jordan in terms of its
partnership with the world's super power, setting up the Kingdom to play a huge
role in regional geopolitics without delay.
Let alone the fact that His Majesty had received the warmest
welcome among the leaders who showed up at the White House after US President
Joe Biden took office and started cleaning up the residues of his predecessor's
counterproductive policies.
Look also at the large number of high-level
meetings His Majesty held, the calibers of the persons he met, the nature of
the statements issued by the American side after each meeting, and the
significance of the issues discussed. All of these factors have made the US visit
an undeniably historical one.
It is apparent that Jordan's diplomacy, led by King
Abdullah, has broken free of the shackles of the former administration's
reckless policies, which pushed the country into a corner, bravely defending
its values and political positions that tolerate no compromise, while being
aware of the price to be paid.
Coupled with the fact that the Kingdom is showing signs of
victory over
COVID-19, and a determination to fully recover from its
repercussions, it is safe to say that this is a new day for a country that has
always won the respect of many nations.
To the US, Jordan has always represented the voice of reason
and wisdom in a region described by the Americans as a "tough
neighborhood." Having said that, the Kingdom realizes that this is not the
time for complacency, but a time to roll up its sleeves and start the hard work
to deliver on two main fronts.
The first is to build on this regained status to salvage its
ailing economy and advance against the formidable challenges, foremost of which
are unemployment and poverty. On the home front also, the country has yet to
walk the walk towards a mature, full-fledged political reform that places
Jordan ahead of neighbors as a civic and democratic state.
The second front is to maximize its partnership with the US,
peace-loving nations, and aspiring regional partners to lead the region out of
the dark tunnel into the light of a future of economic and developmental
cooperation.
Towards that end, much work is needed. There is an urgent
need to put the Mideast peace process back on track, based on the two-state
solution, as a prelude to a lasting and just resolution. This is not an easy
task, and nor is a renewed war on terrorism, which is yet to be defeated
completely, to clear the way for neighbors like Iraq to fully tap their huge
potentials.
Restoring normalcy to Syria and Libya is also on the agenda and is
a win-win outcome for all, which is why we expect the US to ensure for Jordan sufficient
space and resources to move towards the finish line.
The clock is ticking, and there is no time to waste. Jordan
has to set its priorities and start working on all these fronts. All parts of
the machine should be functioning in harmony and nothing should be left for
chance. Some observers are setting the timeframe for these endeavors at about
three years, ending with the next US presidential elections, so let's do it
before it is too late.
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