King meets Norway’s crown prince over refugee plight, region

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday held talks with Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway that tackled bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.

During the meeting, which was attended by Princess Mette-Marit, they discussed means to bolster the Jordanian-Norwegian relations in addition to other issues of mutual concern, according to a Royal Court statement.

The Monarch reviewed with the visiting prince the latest regional developments in addition to the Kingdom’s efforts to deal with current challenges and to achieve peace and security for the people of the region.

The King also stressed Jordan’s determination to combat terrorism and radicalism, warning against the serious threat they pose to all nations without exception, calling at the same time for more intensified and coordinated efforts, both regionally and internationally, to put an end to the dangers of terror.

On the peace process, the King highlighted the need for more efforts from the international community to push for a relaunch of the direct peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that can lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The King also warned against the consequences of the Israeli assaults on the holy sites in Jerusalem, especially Al Aqsa Mosque, and efforts to achieve regional peace and stability.

On the Syrian crisis, the King renewed Jordan’s “unaltered stance” that advocates a comprehensive political solution to the ongoing war there that can put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and safeguard the territorial unity of their country.

His Majesty highlighted Jordan’s increasing burdens resulting from hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees and their impact on the country’s resources and infrastructure, calling on the international community to increase its support to the refugee-burdened Kingdom to continue its humanitarian role.

For his part, Prince Haakon voiced his country’s keenness on enhancing bilateral relations in all fields, expressing appreciation for Jordan’s humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees.

He also voiced appreciation for the King’s role in dealing with regional and international challenges and his efforts to spread a culture of moderation, tolerance and dialogue among all peoples of the world.

Also on Wednesday, Prince Haakon, accompanied by his wife, visited the UNHCR offices in Amman, where he was briefed on the services it offers to refugees, especially Syrians. 

UNHCR Representative Andrew Harper outlined the physical and psychological conditions of Syrian refugees during their journey to Jordan, and the services needed to alleviate their suffering. 

Prince Haakon praised Jordan’s humanitarian role towards Syrian refugees by maintaining an open-border policy and providing all types of assistance possible.