Interview with His Majesty King Abdullah II
Lagutin: Your Majesty, how do you evaluate the relations between Russia and Jordan? How do you think the agreements you made during these visits are being carried out? In which particular field or fields is there most progress? And in which is there still yet more to be achieved?
King Abdullah: Let me begin by saying that I am looking forward to this visit. I will be meeting both President Putin and First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev while I am in Moscow to discuss how our ties can be further consolidated. We have been honoured by President Putin's commitment to developing and expanding Russia's relations with Jordan during his tenure, and I congratulate him on his service as president.
Our relations are excellent, both at the political level and in terms of cultural exchange. Russia's involvement in the Middle East peace process is very much appreciated, and it will be vital in the months to come as Palestinians and Israelis begin to discuss final status issues. Our two countries also enjoy a high degree of security coordination and cooperation. I am also pleased by the level of cultural exchange. Two thousand students are now studying in Russia - they will add to our pool of 20,000 Russian speakers in the country. We are keen to welcome more Russians to Jordan - around 100,000 visited in 2006, many of them on religious pilgrimage.
But I believe that there is also real promise in the economic sphere, especially trade and investment relations. Last year when President Putin visited Jordan, our two countries signed an agreement on the promotion and protection of investment, and once it takes effect, I hope it will have a substantial impact because there are numerous opportunities for Russian investment in Jordan, especially in infrastructure projects and in the oil and gas industry. We also signed an agreement between the Amman Chamber of Industry and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry to establish a joint business council, and this is a key vehicle for putting businesses in touch with each other to explore means of collaboration.
One other sphere of cooperation, and I hope to discuss this with the president, is in alternative energy. Like many other countries, we are concerned about the rising price of oil on the living standards of our people and we are also keen to protect the environment. A Jordanian delegation visited Russia last year to discuss this, and I understand that a team of Russian experts will come to Amman this month to see how we can collaborate in nuclear energy development. Jordan has launched its own nuclear energy program, and Russian expertise will be a tremendous asset to its development and future success.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, what are your priorities regarding your foreign policy?
King Abdullah: Jordan's top priority is Middle East peace, beginning with the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. But we are also doing everything we can to support security, stability and national reconciliation in Iraq and Lebanon. Our region needs peace; too many people have suffered for too long. Protracted conflict has also delayed the socio-economic development of most of the countries in the region. Many of us, including Jordan, have undertaken extensive reforms and with great success. But for us to fully realise the benefits of reform, we need to be able to exchange goods and services with our neighbours and facilitate the movement of people. So in that respect, conflict holds everyone up, and the longer we delay conflict resolution, the more we risk greater instability down the road: 60 per cent of the Arab population is under the age of 24, and the share of the population held by youth will not peak for three or four more decades. Today, unemployment is around 11 per cent on average across the region. That means we need 54 million jobs by the year 2020 just to maintain that rate. It's a difficult goal to achieve when the region is bogged down in conflict. On the other hand, if we could end conflict in our region, imagine the impact that our youth will have on the socio-economic transformation of our region.
Jordan's other related priority is to build international partnerships that can help us protect and deepen the tremendous development gains we have already made. In 2006, we started the G-11 initiative, which groups eleven lower and middle income countries. G-11 countries share a commitment to home-grown economic, social and political reforms, and they are really at a turning point in their socio-economic development in that they are trying to move into higher income brackets. These countries are challenged by sudden fluxes in global markets, for example, from rising oil prices; some, like Jordan, are in regions where conflict is a serious impediment to consolidating growth. Our objective is to work together and with the G-8 to help shield ourselves from these problems.
The G-11 countries – Croatia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay and Sri Lanka - have identified four areas where international support would be very effective: investment promotion that supports higher productivity and trade-based growth; trade development, including market access and technical assistance; debt-burden alleviation, to reduce pressures on financial and budgetary space; and targeted grant assistance that addresses poverty and health and supports initiatives in education and infrastructure.
Last November, we opened a dialogue on cooperation with the G-8 presidency in Germany, and we look forward to Russia's support of this initiative as an important voice in the G-8. I hope dialogue can be the foundation of a new, cooperative partnership between the two groups that helps developing countries sustain gains hard won through their unwavering commitment to wide-ranging reforms.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, when considering your policy on internal affairs, you have achieved a great deal, including social and economic reforms. Under your reign, Jordan has gained a strong investment climate. How else are you aiming to develop your country further?
King Abdullah: We have built a strong investment climate. This has been complemented by the diversification of our export base, and numerous economic and structural reforms that have further boosted the contribution of the private sector to our economic growth, which in 2007 reached 5.8% in the last three quarters. We are shifting the focus now to a better distribution of development gains. We want all Jordanians to benefit from this growth and, at the same time, be participants in propelling the country's development. To ensure that this happens, we have embarked on a very unique nationwide programme to establish special economic and/or development zones in the various governorates. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone has been our model for this. The ASEZ was conceived as a special development area to create an economic engine of growth in the Aqaba region. It is based on a model of decentralised governance and built on the competitive attributes of Aqaba - tourism and logistics. We introduced world-class investment incentives and a central development vehicle that has created an environment conducive to investment and job creation. Its success has encouraged us to adapt and replicate this model throughout the country.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, you had a rich and distinguished military career. What is the secret of your success? What is the highlight of your career as an army officer?
King Abdullah: Military service is part of the Hashemite family tradition, and my grandfather and father believed that service was part of their duty as individuals who had been entrusted with leadership. My father also always viewed the military service as a way to build character and learn self-discipline and to remain in touch with people from diverse walks of life. So he insisted that his sons serve. For anyone to succeed in the military, he or she must be sincerely dedicated to national service, and in this I am no different than all my brothers in arms in Jordan, who serve the country willingly, faithfully and with the highest degree of professionalism, regardless of their rank. I am honoured to be their commander-in-chief.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, Jordan is playing a hugely vital role in the Middle East peace process. You have good relations with Israel. What in your estimation is the most suitable way to bring about a successful solution on the issues dividing countries in the Middle East?
King Abdullah: The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is the core conflict in our region, and if the parties can arrive at a just, negotiated settlement, they will take our region one large step closer to security and stability. The process that started in Annapolis, is, from our perspective a positive development. But it also may be our last chance for peace for many, many years to come. So it is especially important for the international community to stay engaged. We know from experience that, although the parties themselves have to take the tough decisions and do the negotiating, they have been unable to move forward without the support and involvement of the international community. This is something that helps both sides feel confident in the realm of politics and diplomacy, and helps them take actions on the ground towards each other that help build confidence on the ground among people. International engagement is important right now, and it will become more so as the parties approach final status talks.
Jordan is one of a core group of Arab states that is committed to fostering an environment of confidence between the parties. Together, we have advanced a proposal not just for Israeli-Palestinian peace, but for a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative would create two states - Israel and an independent Palestinian state - living alongside each other in peace and security. It supports an agreed solution to the Palestinian refugee question and envisions collective security guarantees for all the countries of the region including Israel. The initiative reflects the principles of international legality embodied in the UN Security Council resolutions - 194, 242 and 338 - pertaining to the conflict. Since the resumption of talks between the parties, which began last November in Annapolis, we have also spoken in one voice about the importance of both sides upholding their respective commitments outlined in the ‘road map.’ Our job, the Arab states and the international community, is to empower them to do so. We need to fully support President Abbas in areas such as institution-building, especially strengthening capacity in the area of security, and in stimulating the Palestinian economy, which has been terribly damaged by Israeli restrictions on the free movement of goods and people and international sanctions.
In this regard, Russia's support for President Abbas and the Palestinian National Authority is very much appreciated, especially in terms of training of security personnel. And obviously, as Palestinians and Israelis move forward, Russia can play a valuable supportive role in achieving a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, some time has passed since you made the Amman Message. How successfully has this agreement been implemented to date?
King Abdullah: The purpose of the Amman Message was to articulate clearly the principles and values of Islam, which have been misappropriated and distorted both by extremists in the Muslim world and extremists elsewhere. In the case of extremism in our part of the world, the principles of Islam have been twisted in order to justify acts of terrorism - which is entirely alien to Islam. These acts give extremists elsewhere a justification to vilify Islam as a religion that promotes violence and one that must be confronted. The Amman Message is an answer to both of them. Our religion is one of peace and tolerance and it requires the faithful to live accordingly and strive for harmonious relations with people of other faiths and cultures. I should add that the Amman Message also applies within the Muslim community itself, which has seen its share of sectarian strife, unfortunately.
There is a tremendous awareness in the international Muslim community of the dangers of allowing extremists to set the agenda through their actions, which are driven by hatred rather than a grounded understanding of Islam. And many of the most prominent Muslim scholars in the world, from all Islamic schools of thought, have embraced the Amman Message as a result, as has the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
Lagutin: Your Majesty, what message would you like to give to Russian people ahead of your latest visit to the country?
King Abdullah: I am very pleased that Jordan and Russia enjoy good relations, and we appreciate the Russian people's support and friendship and look forward to further strengthening our ties. Currently, there are over 2,000 Jordanians studying in Russia and around 20,000 Jordanians speak Russian - we hope that this kind of person-to-person exchange will continue and flourish even further. Jordan has a lot to offer and we strongly believe that there is great room for cooperation in various sectors, from business and trade and industry, to education and the arts.
At this time in particular, when there is great opportunity for peace in my region, I would also like to underscore to the Russian people the importance of their country's role in the Middle East. Russia's support to the peace process is key in helping Palestinians and Israelis overcome obstacles in the coming period, and Jordan wishes to thank Russia for its attention to this core conflict in my region - one that can have global repercussions if not resolved fairly and quickly.
