King, Austrian president discuss ties, region

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in New York and discussed means to enhance cooperation between the two countries as well as regional issues.

His Majesty expressed Jordan’s keenness to boost economic relations with Vienna, noting that the Kingdom enjoys a safe and attractive investment environment that constitutes, through its partnerships with numerous countries, an important gateway to regional and international markets, according to a Royal Court statement.

Talks also went over endeavours aimed at reaching political solutions to regional crises. 

Both leaders discussed regional and international efforts exerted in the war against terrorism within a comprehensive approach. His Majesty warned against Islamophobia and the marginalisation of Islamic communities in the West, which help extremists use such fears to feed their terrorist agendas. 

The Jordanian role in hosting Syrian refugees, providing them with humanitarian and relief services and their impact on the Kingdom, as well as the importance for the international community to support Jordan in this regard were also covered in the meeting.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Sima Bahous attended the meeting.