ID :
352136
Mon, 12/22/2014 - 08:04
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Abdullah bin Zayed, Nasser Judeh affirm strong bilateral relations between UAE and Jordan

AMMAN, December 22, 2014 (WAM): H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Nasser Judeh, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, co-chaired here yesterday the meetings of the 2nd UAE-Jordan Higher Committee. A number of ministers, representatives of government institutions and private sector in both countries attended the event. At the beginning of the meeting Sheikh Abdullah hailed the strong fraternal ties of the UAE and Jordan under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In his statement, Sheikh Abdullah expressed thanks and appreciation to the Government of Jordan and Nasser Judeh for the warm reception, generosity and sincere fraternal feelings that he and his accompanying delegation have received, which reflects the strong ties between the two fraternal countries and peoples. "The UAE considers Jordan as a strategic partner at different fields and at the level of the existing cooperation and cooperation between the two sides at all international events, as well as various political issues to support regional and international stability and security." Sheikh Abdullah said. He also hailed Jordan's stance and effective participation in the international coalition against Daesh (ISIL), which represents a threat for the whole region and world. Sheikh Abdullah also praised the positive role being played by Jordan in preservation of Islamic holy places in Jerusalem and Islamic and Christian holy sites in context of combating Israeli provocations and settlement practices which aim to tamper with the sacred places and change of the Christian and Islamic landmarks in Jerusalem. He also expressed his appreciation to the Jordan's exerted efforts to host more than 1,4 million Syrian refugees and its huge burdens on the country. Sheikh Abdullah extended thanks to Jordan for facilitating the missions of Emirati humanitarian and charitable organisations in Jordan. "Holding the committee meeting comes within the joint Arab action and represents an opportunity for communication and enhancing ties which reflects the two countries' interest and keenness on boosting cooperation in a number of fields, especially the political, economic, investment, real estate, financial, trade and cultural domains." he added. Sheikh Abdullah pointed out that the volume of trade between the UAE and Jordan reached US$ 764 million in 2013, with an increase of 18 percent in comparison to 2012, adding the number of UAE investment companies in Jordan has reached more than 250 while the volume of UAE's investments in Jordan has exceeded US$ 13 billion. He also said that the number of weekly flights between the two countries reached 87 flights in 2014, which would enhance mutual tourism between the two countries, indicating that the number of Jordanians who live in the UAE exceeded 168,000. Sheikh Abdullah said," We closely follow up the work of the joint committee, wishing that this would further enhance joint cooperation and open up new horizons in the march of the bilateral relations and exploring more opportunities and investment domains as well as other potentials of the two countries' economies for the benefit of the joint interests." He also expressed the hope that meetings will continue and strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries, stressing the importance of activation and continuity of the joint committee's work as well as implementing its resolutions. At the end of his statement, Sheikh Abdullah extended thanks to heads and members of the preliminary committee for their efforts which contributed to the success of the meeting, wishing to meet in the coming joint committee in the UAE." On his part, Nasser Judeh, Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs said that Jordan and the UAE made great progress in the promotion of joint cooperation in all areas, as the two countries have the potentials and resources that contribute to tapping investment opportunities for the benefit of both fraternal peoples, adding, this reflects the growing volume of Emirati investments in Jordan, which enjoy a considerable attention from His Majesty the King Abdullah II through directives to provide all the necessary requirements to ensure their success and continuity. " We are grateful for the interest given to the Jordanian community in the UAE across the country, who work hard to enhance the march of growth and building in their second home." said Judeh. He also added that Jordan's distinguished investment environment, thanks to political and security stability, qualified the country to attract a number of Arab and foreign investments in various fields, expressing his pride by the confidence of the Emirati investor in the investment atmosphere in Jordan. Judeh said, ''The region is witnessing very crucial and difficult times, which require joint coordination and cooperation to deal with a number of issues of common interest for better future for both sides, as well as exchange of views on regional and international issues. " We believe that security of the GCC states is an integral part of our national security and we call for commitment to good-neighbourliness policy and the principles of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs ." He also reiterated his country's supportive stance for the UAE to regain full sovereignty over its occupied lands and Jordan's support to all peaceful calls to reach a fair settlement of this issue through direct negotiations or through the International Court of Justice. He said any dialogue related to the region must tackle the Palestinian cause and referred to the efforts made by the King of Jordan in highlighting the need for a just and lasting solution to the issue in the lead-up to creating an independent and liveable Palestinian state with Eastern Jerusalem as a capital. He renewed Jordan's rejection of the Israeli measures in Jerusalem, aimed at obliterating its Islamic and Christian identity and changing the city's legal, demographic and architectural features. He also expressed Jordan's condemnation of the Israeli escalation through systematic attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque to divide it in terms of time and the structure. On Syria, Judeh emphasised Jordan's position which calls for a political solution to the crisis to restore Syria's security and stability with the participation of all components of the Syrian people. He expressed his country's appreciation to the support given by the UAE to the Syrian refugees in Jordan and called on the international community to step up its support to Jordan as a major host country for the Syrian refugees. Judeh said Jordan will continue its support to the people of Iraq to help sustain peace and stability there. He renewed Jordan's commitment to combat any attempts aimed at distorting the image of Islam as a religion that promotes tolerance and moderateness. "We will continue to fight terrorist groups and we are directly involved in confronting forces of darkness in the region. The war against terrorism is our war." He also underlined role Jordan plays in the UN Security Council, in coordination with the different Arab countries, including the UAE. At the end of the meeting, the two countries signed memorandums of understanding for cooperation on consumer protection, antiquities and museums, youth, roads and bridges. Also signed were executive programmes for cooperation in tourism fields, labour and higher education. Following the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah praised the level of "strategic and deep-rooted relations between the UAE and Jordan." He said that the two countries share identical views on the challenges facing them, particularly in relation to counter-terrorism. Sheikh Abdullah praised the role played by Jordan as a representative of the Arab group in the UN Security Council and described it as a "vital and effective role in serving Arab issues, including their top cause; the Palestinian cause." He also commended the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to mend fences which culminated in the Egyptian=-Qatari reconciliation, saying it was an important step towards strengthening Arab solidarity. The Jordanian Foreign Minister said he was pleased to meet Sheikh Abdullah and described his country's relations with the UAE as "fraternal and strategic, thanks to the continuous support by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan. He revealed that his talks with Sheikh Abdullah covered issues and challenges of concern to the two countries and to the Arab world, as well as the Syrian crisis and the burden borne by Jordan as a result. "We share an identical view on the need for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the developments of the Palestinian issue and the threat terrorism poses to the region and to the world and how to address it," he added. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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