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King returns home after Asia tour

Feb 27,2014 - Last updated at Feb 27,2014

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah returned home on Wednesday evening after an Asia tour that included official visits to Singapore and Indonesia.

During the visits, the King held talks with senior officials in both countries on methods to enhance cooperation, especially in economic fields, a Royal Court statement said.

Talks also covered the latest political developments in the Middle East and the world.

During his visit to Indonesia, His Majesty delivered a speech at the Nahdlatul Ulama Interfaith Conference “Islam for Peace and Civilisation” in Jakarta and met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In his address at the conference, the Monarch stressed the role of the Ummah (Muslim nation) in spreading the true essence of Islam and contributing to the resolution of global challenges.

He added that dialogue is the solution to all sectarian divisions and religious conflicts and the key to peace and prosperity.

The King also held talks with representatives of the Indonesia Chamber of Industry and Commerce and other business leaders at a meeting that included Jordanian businesspeople.

In Singapore, King Abdullah met with President Tony Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and discussed ways to improve bilateral ties in all fields.

In addition, he met with a number of political, academic and intellectual leaders at the National University of Singapore Middle East Institute, where discussions focused on the latest regional developments, especially the situation in Syria and the peace process.

The King also paid a visit to Singapore Civil Service College, which is specialised in improving the administrative skills and capabilities of government employees.

The Singapore visit included meetings with leaders of the Singapore Business Federation and a number of elite economic figures, businesspeople and investors, the statement said.

During the King’s visit, Jordan and Singapore signed two memoranda of understanding in the fields of human resource development and investment.

The first memo, signed by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and his counterpart Grace Fu, entails expanding the umbrella of the regional refrigeration and air conditioning training centre established by Singapore in Amman in 2007.

The second memo was signed between Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation and Ramatex group to establish a $35 million investment in Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Industrial City in Karak.

The investment will be implemented over two phases and entail the establishment of textile factories in the city that will offer around 9,000 job opportunities in the long term.

Work on the project is scheduled to start by the end of this year, with the first phase concluding by mid-2015. It is expected to offer between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs.

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