His Majesty King Abdullah received Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, on Tuesday at Al Husseiniya Palace, at the start of his official visit to the Kingdom.

At expanded talks that followed a bilateral meeting—which was attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, and His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy—discussions covered the deep-rooted ties of friendship between the two countries and the importance of maintaining coordination on issues of mutual concern.

Speaking at the top of the expanded meeting, King Abdullah welcomed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their visit to Jordan, which had been delayed because of COVID-19.

His Majesty said the visit comes in the year that marks Jordan’s centennial and 100 years for the ties between the two countries.

The King noted the relationship he witnessed as he grew up between the late King Hussein and Prince Charles, adding that he built on this relationship with the Prince of Wales.

“To see two young men, our sons, establish their relationship really warms my heart,” His Majesty continued.

The King commended the success of the Glasgow climate summit. “I know this is something that you started way before anybody really understood these challenges, and I just wanted to commend you for your leadership,” His Majesty said, addressing Prince Charles.

For his part, the Prince of Wales expressed delight to visit Jordan.

“I cannot thank Your Majesty enough for your incredibly kind and generous welcome. It is always very special indeed to come back to Jordan. I’m sorry this time it is, what, 19 months late, so I do apologise when we should have been here last March,” Prince Charles said.

But the visit is “hugely encouraging” he continued, “because we have been—all of us—most concerned about all our friends in Jordan and the Middle East throughout this appalling pandemic.”

“This occasion is even more special, bearing in mind the centenary of the very special relationship and friendship between both our countries. And in all those years, that relationship has matured even more and matters a very great deal to us in the United Kingdom,” Prince Charles said.

“I also wanted to say particularly just how hugely we all admire Jordan and Your Majesty’s efforts in looking after so many refugees coming from all around this area, and the fact that Jordan is so unbelievably hospitable and generous, is truly remarkable,” he added.

Referring to the Glasgow climate conference, Prince Charles said ,“the talking has gone on for so long, it’s time for action on the ground, which is the most important thing of all.”

At the expanded talks—attended by Crown Prince Al Hussein and Prince Ghazi, as well as senior officials from the two countries—His Majesty stressed the importance of bolstering cooperation between Jordan and the UK, especially across economic fields.

The King expressed appreciation of the UK’s support for Jordan’s development efforts, including response to the Syrian refugee crisis, which has been compounded due to the impact of COVID-19.

His Majesty also commended the UK’s efforts to counter climate change, stressing Jordan’s keenness to contribute to these efforts, as well as the Kingdom’s readiness to collaborate with the UK in enhancing food security and mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19.

Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, Jordan’s Ambassador in London Manar Dabbas, UK’s Ambassador to Jordan Bridget Brind, and a number of British officials attended the talks.