Expatriates acquainted with Jordan’s position on regional crises, challenges

Dead Sea — The Jordanian Expatriates Conference, which opened here Tuesday under the Patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, aims to connect Jordanians living abroad with their homeland, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said.

In remarks at the opening session, Esnour said the three-day conference, which brings together around 600 Jordanians from around 61 countries, aims to serve as a platform to exchange ideas, visions and expertise.

The conference, he added, is also an opportunity to discuss how to improve services provided to Jordanian expatriates and at the same time utilise their skills and expertise to serve their homeland.

Ensour highlighted the achievements of Jordanian men and women living abroad, and their role in serving both their host countries and homeland.

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, there are some 750,000 Jordanians living abroad, hence the name of the foreign ministry was modified to include expatriates affairs to stress the importance of following up on the affairs of citizens who live abroad.

The conference was also a chance to familiarise participants with Jordanian diplomatic efforts as well as stands on various issues.

Judeh said Jordan’s diplomacy, clear-cut stands on regional issues and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs are a main ingredient in the country’s stability and security.

Jordan has been consistent in its stands regardless of voices critical of this approach, the minister said at a session titled “Jordan: Bright Past, Assertive Present and Promising Future” held on the first day of the conference.

Jordan’s diplomacy is also assertive regarding regional issues when the country has high stakes, such as the envisioned independent Palestinian state and the rights of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees.

Regardless of the developments in the region, the Palestinian issue remains the top priority for Jordan which hosts 42 per cent of the Palestinian refugees, the minister said at the session that focused on Jordan’s resilience and the capability to survive the crises that have hit the region.

Former prime minister Marouf Bakhit said the Kingdom from the start was founded on solid pillars.

He noted that when the country was established, its first government was formed with individuals from Palestine, Syria and the Hijaz in addition to Jordanians. This diversity, Bakhit explained, contributed to the building of a true Arab state with a truly Arab army.

The former premier also noted that the geopolitical position of Jordan gives the Kingdom a distinguished role, noting that it was the first country to propose the idea of the Arab League in 1944.

These views were also echoed by Amr Musa, former secretary general of the Arab League and long-time Egypt’s foreign minister.

According to Musa, Jordan succeeded in surviving the so-called “Arab Spring” due to the leadership’s prudent policies and the fact that Jordan is open to a globalised world, and learns lessons from developments taking place in the international arena.

“Jordan was exceptional,” and has a wise administration and qualifications to take the right decisions to respond to the emerging crises, said Musa, underlying Amman’s “rational” positions on regional issues like Iraq and Syria, and Palestine. 

However, he stressed the importance of rebuilding the Arab League, noting that a country cannot work alone and achieve its goals, but a bloc is what is required to achieve reform and economic development.

The session was the first of three main discussions scheduled for the first day of the conference that tackles challenges facing the Kingdom, and which aims to clarify the situation to expatriates. 

In a video that was screened at the conference’s opening the ministry’s spokesperson Sabah Rafie said the ministry launched a service called “Ezwetna” on its website to enable expats to communicate directly with the ministry.