Singapore: Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam expressed his pleasure at meeting His Majesty King Abdullah II, affirming the deep friendship that binds Jordan and Singapore.
According to Jordan News Agency, President Shanmugaratnam noted through his official social media pages that his last visit to Jordan was in 2023, before assuming office, and expressed his eagerness to make a state visit to the Kingdom soon.
The Singaporean president highlighted the special place Jordan holds among the people of Singapore, citing its rich cultural and religious heritage, including Petra and Mount Nebo. He emphasized that while the historical ties are significant, the modern relations between the two countries are equally important.
Shanmugaratnam also recalled Jordan's early support for Singapore, particularly the Kingdom's backing of Singapore's bid to join the United Nations in 1965, and expressed Singapore's continued appreciation for this support.
Additionally, he mentioned the presence of an active community of Singaporean students in Jordan, studying Islamic sciences and the Arabic language in universities located in Amman and Irbid, and noted that he had met several of them during his recent visit with his spouse.
The president praised Jordan's leadership in Islamic education and its commitment to fostering interfaith understanding, which are values shared by Singapore.
He further commended Jordan's efforts in addressing human suffering and destruction in Gaza, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and advancing prospects for lasting peace.
President Shanmugaratnam highlighted Jordan's establishment of two military field hospitals in Gaza and the launch of the "Restoring Hope" initiative to provide prosthetic limbs to amputees. He revealed that Singapore recently supplied specialized prosthetic equipment to support this initiative and looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Jordan in rebuilding hope.