Jordan committed to helping Egypt on its road to political stability -- King

Source: Jordan Times, AmmanAug.迷你倉 26--AMMAN -- His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in Egypt and the region.During the meeting, Fahmy delivered a letter to the King from Egypt's interim President Adli Mansour which voiced appreciation for His Majesty's recent visit to Cairo, which was a "token of the unbreakable bonds between the two countries".King Abdullah was the first Arab leader to visit Cairo after the June 30 revolution. According to a Royal Court statement, the King, briefed by Fahmy on the progress in Egypt's transitional roadmap, underlined the need to engage all Egyptian political powers in the political process.He also voiced Jordan's continued support to help Egypt restore its security and stability and regain its pivotal role in the region.The Monarch also expressed his confidence in the ability and will of the Egyptian people to help their country restore its leading role in the region and the world, the statement added.King Abdullah and the Egyptian official also discussed issues related to ways to enhance economic relations, especially those concerning the non-stop provision of Egyptian gas to Jordan, according to the statement.Fahmy expressed Cairo's understanding of Jordan's need for a non-halted gas provision from Egypt, the statement said.They also discussed efforts exerted to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution that ultimately leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within pre-1967 lines.On the Syrian crisis, the King reiterated Jordan's position supporting a comprehensive political solution that ends the bloodshed and protects the unity and cohesion of Syria and its people.Fahmy voiced appreciation for Jordan's support of Egypt during the critical current stage and its leading role in achieving security and stability in the region, the statement said.The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King's Office Director Imad Fakhoury, King's adviser Abdullah Wreikat, Jordan's Ambassador to Cairo Bisher Khasawneh and Egyptian Ambassador to Jordan Khaled Tharwat.Fahmy met with Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and Judeh separately on Sunday and discussed ways to enhance bilateral ties and boost joint cooperation between the two countries, as well as the latest regional developments.During his meeting with Fahmy, Ensour voiced Jordan's keenness on enhancing bilateral relations with Egypt in all fields, stressing that the stability and security of the Arab world's most populous nation is a top priority for the Kingdom, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.Ensour also underlined the need to maintain constant coordination and cooperation between the two countries to address all issues of mutual concern, mainly the Palestinian question.For his part, Fahmy voiced appreciation for Jordan's support of his country, highlighting the importance of King Abdullah's recent visit to Cairo after the June 30 revolution as a message of support to Egypt's people and government.Judeh also met separately with Fahmy on Sunday as they underlined their governments' commitment to enhancing joint cooperation."We had extensive talks with regards to regional developments and how we can work together to boost our bilateral cooperation and on issues affecting regional stability and 自存倉ecurity," Judeh said during Sunday's press conference."We reiterated Jordan's support for Egypt's efforts to maintain stability and security of Egyptian society. This has been our position since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution on January 25. We emphasised our support for Egypt, especially after June 30 when masses took to the streets in a historical event that reflected the will of the Egyptian people for genuine change and in pursuit of democracy," Judeh added.He stressed that the Kingdom supports the political roadmap the Egyptian interim government put forward following the ouster of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, "which has the full support of the political powers in Egypt", adding that Fahmy briefed him on the measures the Egyptian authorities are taking to implement the roadmap and put democracy back on track."We also discussed means to enhance our joint cooperation in all aspects and we are hopeful that the joint higher committee will meet before the end of the year to discuss all issues of concern between Jordan and Egypt," Judeh added.Fahmy noted that the Egyptian government is interested in developing bilateral ties between the two countries and enhancing the level of joint cooperation to include all economic, social, cultural and political aspects.The discussions between the two officials also touched on the Syrian crisis and its recent escalation of violence, as well as the efforts that have been exerted by all concerned parties to ensure the peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis result in the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state, Judeh said.Judeh rejected any speculation that a meeting of top Western and Arab military leaders in Amman, expected to take place today, will pave the way for a military action against Syria in response to the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons last week that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians."Jordan condemns and denounces the killing of more than 1,000 Syrian citizens and we want to ensure that whoever was behind the chemical weapons attack is held accountable. Jordan still supports a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis," he said, stressing that Jordan wants to see an end to the bloodshed that has killed over 100,000 people over two years, according to UN estimates.During the presser, Fahmy stressed that Egypt's interest in regional stability has never been absent despite its recent focus on its domestic politics."We have always sustained coordination with our friends and brothers in the region such as Jordan. Now that the situation in Egypt has calmed down, Egyptian diplomacy with Jordan will see a boost in the future," Fahmy noted.Highlighting the interim government's political roadmap, Fahmy said the Egyptian authorities have formed a reconciliation committee and invited all political actors to engage in a constructive dialogue, adding that his government is determined to combat violence wherever it's found and bring those behind it to justice.Following the conclusion of his visit to the Kingdom, Fahmy said he is travelling to Ramallah, where he will meet with Palestinian officials to show Egypt's support for the Palestinians in their pursuit of an independent state.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Jordan Times (Amman, Jordan) Visit the Jordan Times (Amman, Jordan) at .jordantimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉新蒲崗