His Majesty King Abdullah and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in a telephone call on Wednesday, discussed the latest regional developments, especially efforts to achieve peace and the Syrian crisis.

King Abdullah asserted Jordan’s position in support of all efforts to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, in accordance with the two-state solution, relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Regarding the Syrian crisis, the King emphasised the need to arrive quickly at a political solution for the crisis, which would end the suffering of the Syrian people.

His Majesty highlighted the growing burdens on Jordan’s resources as a result of the increasing influx of Syrian refugees.

The King stressed the importance of the international community’s support for Jordan to be able to continue its humanitarian mission.

The UN chief commended His Majesty’s efforts towards achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, stressing the support of the UN and its institutions for Jordan to help it address the impact of regional crises.

Also on Wednesday, the King attended in New York a special conference held by Clinton Foundation to support Jordan’s national plan to empower local communities hosting Syrian refugees, prepared by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

In remarks at the meeting, attended by influential US figures and non-governmental institutions, His Majesty reviewed the impact of the Syrian crisis on Jordan as a result of hosting 1.3 million Syrians, including 600,000 registered refugees, making Jordan the world’s third largest host of refugees.

The King noted that the assistance extended by the international community focuses on relief aid and humanitarian needs of refugees, ignoring the aid provided by hosting communities.