Day: September 2, 2021

His Majesty King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a trilateral summit on Thursday in Cairo.

The trilateral summit was held at Al Ittihadiya Palace within the framework of coordinating positions ahead of the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly, as the summit covered the latest regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.

In remarks at the summit, King Abdullah said the meeting in Cairo underlines keenness to provide all means of support for the Palestinians, as well as maintaining efforts to reactivate the peace process.

His Majesty said the current situation is unsustainable, adding that regional peace cannot be achieved without a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King added that the unfortunate developments in the latest months have proved this truth, expressing appreciation for Egypt’s ongoing efforts to restore calm and enhance stability.

Noting the need to stop violations and unilateral measures, especially in Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, His Majesty called for working with all stakeholders to avoid any escalation that could negatively affect peace efforts.

In addition, the King reaffirmed Jordan’s relentless efforts to preserve the legal and historical status-quo in Jerusalem, as well as Islamic and Christian holy sites there, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship.

His Majesty noted that the Palestinian cause remains the central issue in the Middle East, despite the numerous challenges emerging regionally and internationally.

Furthermore, the King stressed the need to maintain close coordination with the Egyptians and the Palestinians in service of shared interests.

For his part, Egypt President El Sisi welcomed His Majesty and the Palestinian president, noting the importance of relaunching the peace process, fulfilling all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and rebuilding the strip.

President El Sisi said achieving Palestinian aspirations for an independent state requires unifying ranks and ending divisions between the West Bank and Gaza.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Abbas said the Palestinians are still open to a just and comprehensive peace in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The Palestinian president voiced appreciation for Jordan’s position on the Palestinian cause and His Majesty’s efforts in this regard, thanking the Egyptian president for hosting the trilateral summit.

The Jordanian delegation to the summit included Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt Amjad Adaileh.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Lower House Education and Youth Committee on Thursday discussed with the Egyptian Ambassador to Jordan, Sherif Kamil, ways to enhance bilateral relations in all fields, especially in the educational domain.

Speaking during the meeting, the committee’s head, MP Bilal Momani, stressed the Jordanian-Egyptian “deep-rooted, solid and brotherly” relations and their “advanced” level, thanks to the two countries’ leaderships.

The two countries should maintain joint coordination and consultation on all issues of common interest, Momani pointed out.

Momani praised Egypt’s efforts to enhance educational cooperation and its attention paid to Jordanian students enrolled at Egyptian universities.

Egyptian higher education institutions’ prestigious position is the basis for attracting thousands of Jordanian students to study in Egypt, he noted.

The lawmaker also lauded the envoy’s role in strengthening bilateral relations and building bridges of joint cooperation, especially in educational exchange.

Momani, moreover, praised the large number of scholarships offered by Egypt to Jordanian students, especially in the medicine specialty, expressing hope that this number granted to Jordanian students, whether at the undergraduate or postgraduate levels, would be increased.

Calling on granting Jordanian students reduced university fees, Momani highlighted the need to take into account the challenges that Jordan has experienced and the refugee waves it has hosted, which have burdened its natural resources and infrastructure.

Egyptian envoy, for his part, said Jordanian-Egyptian relations constitute “a model in Arab-Arab relations,” highlighting coordination at all levels and continuous cooperation on all issues, stressing his country’s keenness to strengthen ties at various levels to achieve common interests.

Discussing educational cooperation, the diplomat noted an executive program governs this joint issue and the two countries maintain continuous contacts in this regard.

Scholarships granted to Jordanian students have been increased by 20 percent to become 60 instead of 50, he noted.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Senate joint Legal and tourism committee approved 2021 draft law for the development of the land adjacent to the Baptism Site, making some “minor” amendments to the Lower House’s version sent earlier.

Under its mandating reasons, the draft comes given the Baptism Site’s historical importance as a world heritage destination.

The bill seeks to develop lands adjacent to the archeological destination in a way that promotes its importance to become a “key and large” global religious and historical tourism attraction, which would contribute to marketing Jordan’s religious tourism, supporting and training local communities and creating job opportunities for them.

The draft, moreover, eyes to establish a non-profit charitable institution concerned with developing the lands adjacent to the Baptism site.

In another separate meeting, the Senate’s Legal Committee, headed Ahmed Tabishat, began deliberating amendments to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law of 2021.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Kingdom’s trade balance deficit with Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA) countries in the first-half of 2021 soared by 45.9 per cent to JD748 million, compared with JD512,4 million in the same period of 2020, the Department of Statistics (DoS) announced on Thursday.

In the same comparison period, the value of national exports to the GAFTA’s countries rose by 18.7 percent, reaching JD1,076 billion, against to JD907,6 million, according to the the monthly DoS report.

Meanwhile, the value of Jordan’s imports from the GAFTA countries increased in the January-June period of 2021 by 28.4 percent, reaching about JD1,824 billion, compared to JD1,420 billion in the same period last year, the report showed.

According to the DoS figures, this uptick contributed to an increase in the Kingdom’s imports of precious jewelry, by 348.5%, to stand nearly at JD309 million, compared to the same period last year, which amounted to JD68.9 million.

Saudi Arabia was the top importer of Jordanian exports to the GAFTA countries in the first half of 2021, reaching about JD385 million. Saudi Arabia was also the top exporter to Jordan, at a value approximately standing at JD1,042 billion, thus bringing the trade balance deficit with the Arab Gulf nation to the end of June to JD657 million.

Source: Jordan News Agency

His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday departed for Cairo, where he is scheduled to participate in a trilateral summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, within the framework of ongoing coordination between the three countries.

King Abdullah’s participation in the summit is in line with Jordan’s diplomatic efforts to support the just rights of the Palestinians and to improve their living conditions, in addition to enabling the suitable environment to relaunch negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, on the basis of the two-state solution.

In Amman, His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Al Hussein was sworn in as Regent, in the presence of Cabinet members.

Source: Jordan News Agency