His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and an accompanying delegation. King Abdullah warned that the continuing Syrian crisis might leave a void that extremist groups might exploit.

His Majesty reiterated Jordan’s position in support of a political solution to the Syrian crisis that safeguards the unity and independence of all Syrians and ends the bloodshed.

The King also noted that the increasing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan weighs heavily on Jordan’s economy, calling on the international community to continue helping the Kingdom to assist the refugees, whose number is now approaching 300,000.

Discussions during the meeting, also attended by His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, covered the latest regional developments and bilateral relations.

His Majesty reviewed ways to revive peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution, emphasising the importance of the US role in this regard.

On Jordan’s reform efforts, the King underlined that Wednesday’s elections are a milestone in the Kingdom’s comprehensive reform march and will be followed by other stages in the future.

For their part, McCain and the visiting senators commended Jordan’s efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and its democratisation process, highly valuing the Kingdom for its promotion of the true essence of Islam and for hosting the Syrian refugees.

The meeting was attended by His Majesty’s Office Director Imad Fakhoury, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Jafar Hassan and US Ambassador to Jordan Stewart Jones.