His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo.

Speaking at the top of meeting, King Abdullah reaffirmed the strength of political ties with Norway, which developed over the years, as well as the defence partnership between the two countries.

His Majesty highlighted the importance of bolstering cooperation and building bridges of understanding between Jordan and Norway, expressing appreciation for Norway’s role in promoting peace and dialogue in the Middle East.

During the meeting, the King and Prime Minister Støre discussed means of bolstering bilateral relations across various fields, including energy, agriculture, investment, trade, and mitigating the impact of climate change, as well as stepping up defence cooperation.

His Majesty voiced appreciation of Norway’s support for Jordan’s development efforts, including supporting to the Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian refugee crisis and host communities.

The meeting also touched on developments in Ukraine and its repercussions on energy and food security, with discussions covering means of stepping up global cooperation to alleviate the impact of the crisis regionally and internationally.

Addressing regional concerns, the King stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, calling for stepping up efforts to reach just and comprehensive peace, on the basis of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty thanked Norway for its support to UNRWA to continue providing its services in accordance with its UN mandate

For his part, Prime Minister Støre welcomed the King’s visit, saying it highlights bilateral relations and cooperation in defence, as well as coordination on other international challenges.

The prime minster said Norway views Jordan as a launch pad for its relations in the region due to the strong ties between the two countries, noting that major Norwegian companies are looking into investing in Jordan in the energy and water sectors.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, Jordan’s Ambassador to Norway Muhib Nimrat, and a number of senior Norwegian officials attended the meeting.

On Saturday, the King met with the Commander of the Norwegian Special Operations Command (NORSOCOM) Maj. Gen. Torgeir Gratrud to discuss means of stepping up defence cooperation, as well as regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.

His Majesty also attended joint defence, maritime, and tactical exercises, held over two days between the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army’s King Abdullah II Special Forces Group and NORSOCOM, within the framework of bilateral cooperation, training, and knowledge exchange.