Joint Jordan-US vision

The summit meeting between His Majesty King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama once again demonstrates the depth of ties between Jordan and the US.

Following the summit, the US announced the augmentation of its annual assistance to Jordan by $1 billion for a three-year period and agreed to issue a third tranche of loan guarantees to the Kingdom, which allows Jordan to receive loans from international financiers at low interest rates.

Washington’s support comes at a badly needed time, when Jordan is grappling with the heavy burdens of hosting around 1.5 million Syrians escaping the ongoing war in their country, and who now constitute almost 20 per cent of the Kingdom’s population. This large number of refugees is taking its toll not only on the overburdened economy, but on many other spheres of life in Jordan, including among others social, educational and health services.

As Washington fully shows appreciation and support for the Kingdom with regards to the Syrian refugees file, it also recognises the country’s role in other domains, namely efforts to breathe life into the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and the war on terror.

For Jordan, it is paramount to continue working to help Palestinians and Israelis reach a peace agreement on the basis of the two-state solution that would achieve justice for the Palestinian people and help them establish their state on their national soil with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Friday summit was used by the two countries as an occasion to exchange notes on their cooperation in the years-long war on terror, which is now being consolidated in the coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. 

The two sides are in total agreement on the need to continue the fight against extremist forces operating in Iraq and Syria, and supporting moderate forces in the two countries.

Both countries have been victims of terror attacks and are keen to fight terrorist forces wherever they are.

Certainly, Amman and Washington see eye-to-eye on many issues and Friday’s summit is but another affirmation of this fact.