His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday held talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on means to strengthen cooperation between Jordan and the UK, as well as regional developments.
The London talks centred on the Middle East peace process and the Syrian crisis, as part of continued consultation and coordination between Jordan and Britain.
King Abdullah and Cameron asserted their commitment to boost bilateral relations, stressing the importance of maintaining continued coordination on issues of mutual concern, in light of the strong and historic ties between both countries.
The King highlighted efforts exerted to assist the Palestinians and Israelis achieve real progress in peace negotiations, leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital.
His Majesty underscored the importance of the British role, in cooperation with key international powers, to draw the views of Palestinians and Israelis closer and to boost peace efforts.
With regard to the latest developments in Syria and efforts to resolve the crisis there, the King reiterated Jordan’s position in support of international mediation to reach a comprehensive political solution.
Highlighting the burdens borne by the Kingdom due to hosting more than half-a-million Syrian refugees, His Majesty commended the UK’s support in this regard and called on the international community to increase its assistance to Jordan to help it continue its humanitarian mission.
At the meeting, Cameron expressed appreciation for the King’s continued endeavours to boost regional security and stability.
He also expressed his country’s appreciation of the Jordanian role in hosting Syrian refugees and providing basic services to them, despite mounting pressures on the Kingdom’s limited resources, also stressing the need for intensifying international efforts to guarantee that humanitarian assistance reaches people inside Syria.
The talks also addressed ways to build on current cooperation, especially in economic fields.
In a separate meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, the King discussed regional developments in relation to the peace process, the Syrian crisis as well as international preparations to hold the Geneva II peace conference on Syria.
“I welcomed Jordan’s extraordinary generosity in hosting over half-a-million refugees from Syria,” Hague said in a statement issued by the British embassy in Amman.
“The UK is now providing 89 million pounds in humanitarian and developmental aid for Jordan, to support refugees and host communities,” he added.
“Jordan and the UK fully agree on the need to advance a Geneva II peace conference, to support the moderate opposition and to assist Syria’s neighbours with the consequences of the conflict.”
“We also discussed the critical importance of ensuring that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations lead to agreement on a two-state solution… Given the particular sensitivities around the holy sites of Jerusalem, we also agreed that all actors must exercise restraint and avoid actions which may be seen as provocative,” he said.
“I welcome King Abdullah’s visit to London to attend the World Islamic Economic Forum. I warmly value the close bilateral relationship between the UK and Jordan and the historic bond between our two countries,” Hague added.
“We agreed that the unique experience and innovative approach of the Prince’s Trust in working with young people could be potentially very valuable in Jordan,” Hague said, noting that he “confirmed” support for a scoping study to explore that potential, “building on the successful visit by His Royal Highness Charles, the Prince of Wales, to Jordan earlier this year” and the signing of a memo between the Prince’s Charities and the King Abdullah II Fund for Development.