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King holds talks with Slovenian president

By JT - Dec 04,2016 - Last updated at Dec 04,2016

His Majesty King Abdullah receives Slovenian President Borut Pahor ahead of their talks in Amman on Sunday (Photo courtesy of Royal Court)

AMMAN – Jordan and Slovenia on Sunday identified a set of fields most promising for cooperation between the two countries.

During talks between His Majesty King Abdullah and Slovenian President Borut Pahor, the two sides agreed to work jointly for effective cooperation in the alternative and renewable energy, IT, water, medical tourism, agriculture and security and defence industries.

The two leaders also discussed Middle East crises, with focus on the Syrian conflict and the war on terror, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty held with Pahor a one-on-one meeting that was followed by expanded talks attended by senior officials from both countries.

At the second round of talks, His Majesty underlined the "highly important" meeting, which he described as an opportunity for Jordan and Slovenia to build more solid bilateral ties.

The King recalled his latest visit to Slovenia, adding that the visit by Pahor is an opportunity to "strengthen the already strong political ties" and look into economic prospects, especially in the face of common challenges, underlining that there are several commonalities between the two nations.

His Majesty said he was looking forward to cooperating with Slovenia in the field of security and defence to "move ahead side by side to face the challenges that face us".

For his part, the Slovenian president stressed that Amman and Ljubljana “follow a very similar approach” as they deal with their different challenges, adding that political ties are “excellent” and can be improved, while more efforts should be exerted to take the economic relations to a new level.

The visiting president underlined the importance of the Jordanian-Slovenian Business Council that is holding a new session in Amman.

In this regard, he called for investing in the available economic opportunities, maintaining that this is the right time to stimulate economic cooperation.

He said that his country seeks to build friendships all over the world and described King Abdullah as a “real friend”.

Pointing out his Saturday visit to the Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, the president highlighted the “huge efforts” Jordan is exerting to serve the refugee community. Noting that Zaatari equals in size the third largest Slovenian city, he commended the sound management of the refugee town, where, he said, residents are satisfied with the services they are offered.

“Actually I have never seen a refugee camp managed in such an organised manner,” Pahor was quoted as saying, voicing appreciation for Jordan’s humanitarian work, and praising the King as a peace-making leader in the region.

The talks, which continued over a lunch banquet, witnessed a discussion over ways to build on agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries to increase cooperation and embark on joint ventures.

His Majesty noted that chances are strong for better economic ties, especially with regard to benefiting from Jordan’s investment advantages such as the free trade agreements entered with influential global players.

In the details, the two sides agreed to activate an MoU signed between Aqaba Port and Slovenia’s Port of Koper in a way that Jordan serves as a regional hub for Slovenia’s trade with the Middle East.

On Syria, they agreed that only a political solution would bring an end to the crisis, while they went over the burdens shouldered by Jordan as a result of the refugee influx.

The discussions also covered regional and international efforts to combat terrorist gangs, with His Majesty reiterating the need to address the threat through a holistic strategy.

Earlier in the day, an official reception ceremony was held for the visiting president at Al Husseiniya Palace, where he was greeted by King Abdullah.

Also on Sunday, Senate President Faisal Fayez met with President Pahor, and discussed with him Jordanian-Slovenian ties and the latest developments in the region.

Fayez reviewed regional events, mainly the Syrian crisis and the Palestinian issue, as well as the repercussions of the prevailing conditions in the Middle East on Jordan in light of its limited natural resources, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan, despite the surrounding political conflicts, has maintained its political and security resilience, yet it faces enormous economic hardships due to hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, Fayez said.

In this regard, he said that what Jordan offers to refugees consumes a large portion of the state budget, which constitutes a huge economic challenge in light of the international community’s failure to meet its commitments and pledges towards refugees and their hosts.

For his part, Pahor stressed the importance of boosting bilateral ties, noting that his visit to the Kingdom aims at serving this end.

He voiced his appreciation for the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance peace and security in the Middle East, Petra reported.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki also met with the Slovenian president.

Mulki outlined the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on the Jordanian economy, noting that Jordan is looking forward for Slovenia’s support as a member of the EU, Petra reported.

The premier also highlighted the political and economic reform process in Jordan and reiterated that the Palestinian cause is the core issue of the Middle East.

For his part, Pahor noted that he will discuss supporting Jordan, which hosts large numbers of Syrian refugees, with European leaders.

He expressed keenness to receive a delegation of businesspeople from Jordan to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Discussions also covered the two countries’ strategic locations for trade, and the potential to increase cooperation in the fields of ICT, as well as the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project.  

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