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AMMAN — Jordan and Lebanon on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) to bolster cooperation in the renewable energy sector and rationalisation of consumption through utilising the Eight-Country Interconnection project.

The memo, signed by Energy Minister Hala Zawati and her Lebanese counterpart Nada Boustani on the sidelines of the International Beirut Energy Forum, entails expertise exchange and allows for the two countries to enter into negotiations on electricity exchange, according to a ministry statement. Zawati, in a press statement following the signing ceremony, expressed the Kingdom's readiness to support Lebanon's electricity needs.

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry is conducting “daily follow-ups” on the arrests of Jordanians Abdulrahman Mari and Hiba Abdul Baqi in Israel, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sufian Qudah said on Wednesday.

The Jordanian consul in Tel Aviv on Wednesday visited Abdul Baqi for the third time at the detention centre, Qudah noted in a Foreign Ministry statement. The Foreign Ministry continues to work on the release of the two citizens and is following up on ongoing investigations through diplomatic channels to guarantee their legal rights, Qudah said, noting that their cases are at the top of the ministry’s priorities.

The Kingdom’s embassy in Tel Aviv is in “constant contact” with the citizens’ attorneys, Qudah said, adding that the consul will be visiting Mari for the second time as soon as possible.  

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Princess Sarvath and Princess Sumaya, HRH Prince Raad and HH Prince Mired, on Wednesday attended an interactive dialogue session titled "Muslim young women and people with disabilities’ education, recruitment and entrepreneurship" organised by the Young Muslim Women's Association (YMWA) Centre for Special Education.

Prince Hassan highlighted the importance of centres designated for empowering people with disabilities for the promotion of citizenship, demonstrating the need for developing an interdisciplinary approach to education and empowerment that focuses on human dignity.

He also expressed gratitude for all care providers who deliver services for marginalised people, which is part of the community's own development efforts, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Secretary of Young Muslim Women's Association Centre for Special Education Nermeen Nabelsi briefed the gathering on the centre's strategy for the coming years.

HH Prince Mired, president of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Minister of Social Development Basma Ishaqat, diplomats and representatives of local and international institutions attended the event.

HRH Princess Sarvath established the YMWA in 1972, while the Young Muslim Women's Association Centre for Special Education was established in 1974 with the aim of providing care and education for persons with intellectual disabilities from birth to 25 years of age.

AMMAN — A new art exhibition centred around Jordanian and refugee children, organised by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), opened on Wednesday with the aim of teaching families about productivity and model citizenship.

Deputising for HRH Prince Hassan, HRH Princess Rahma inaugurated the First Tarabot Art Exhibition, which showcases pictures and paintings by Jordanian and refugee children from the Tarabot Community Centre.

The Tarabot Community Centre, one of the JHCO projects, provides workshops and interactive educational activities for Arabic, math, computer skills, English, fitness, science fiction, puppet making, science experiments and professional photography, in addition to recycling. 

The exhibition showcases over 100 pieces of art at the NOFA Creative Space in Amman, with the aim of displaying the children's talents as well as donating the revenues from the exhibition to support the education of refugee and local community children.

The 12 collections showcased in the exhibition, which concludes on Thursday at 7pm, include the “Hope” collection, created by children of  different nationalities from Al Amal Jordanian School in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was established by the JHCO in 1997.

The exhibition also includes Bonraku (traditional Japanese style puppets), a paper mache sculpture, the “dreams of a Syrian refugee in the Tarabot community”, and an impressionist collection, according to a statement from the organisers.

During the opening, JHCO Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Kilani highlighted the organisation's focus on implementing projects and programmes that help enable families, especially women and children, to learn the concepts of model citizenship and productivity at a young age. He noted that the exhibition is one of the many ways to achieve this goal, according to the statement. 

Kilani also thanked all officials and individuals who supported holding the exhibition, commending the centre and most importantly, the children. 

AMMAN — The Himmeh w Lammeh public initiative will be launched on Saturday in an attempt to foster a culture of volunteerism and promote the cause for a cleaner Jordan.

"This is the start of creating an impact and reminding the Jordanian people of the importance of a clean environment with the help of our strategic partners including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, JITOA (Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association), Nahno organisation, Naua and others," Lana Hamarneh, Himmeh w Lammeh's founder, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

The public initiative will offer various insights to the volunteers who choose to donate their time and energy to collect rubbish and partake in the bid to bring an end to littering across the Kingdom. Hamarneh noted that the key to achieving the initiative's goals is people realising that the cleanliness of the country reflects positively on the economy, tourism and ultimately, society.

"Our campaign will involve taking to tourism sites and parks. It will be launched on September 28 across all of the Kingdom's governorates from 9AM until 2PM," Himmeh W Lammeh (@HLammeh) wrote on its Twitter account.

"This campaign aims to equip the Kingdom's youth with new skills and form a new community that uses creativity to learn the importance of recycling and keeping our country clean," Hamarneh said in the interview, stressing the importance of instilling these values in children as young as preschoolers.

"Our purpose is to sustainably develop our country and our initiative intends to change the culture of customary littering that has been bred out of carelessness," she noted.

"Several types of pollution are man-made, so joining hands across the Kingdom through Himmeh w Lammeh is a great thing because by collecting cigarette tips, plastic bottles and bags, our country becomes a cleaner and therefore happier place within a matter of hours," an active volunteer said.

"As a national platform for youth volunteering and participation, we want to create a positive impact — whether directly or indirectly," Khaled Abu Ajwe, operations director at Naua, one of the strategic partners of the initiative, said.

AMMAN — Temperatures are forecast to be relatively hot on Thursday with moderate weather conditions in mountainous areas, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

On Friday, temperatures are forecast to slightly increase, making the weather relatively hot in mountainous areas and valleys, and hot in the rest of the Kingdom, with light northeasterly winds. 

However on Saturday, the JMD forecasts a slight decrease in temperatures, with mountainous areas witnessing moderate weather and relatively hot around the Kingdom, with northwesterly moderate winds.

On Thursday, temperatures in Amman are expected to see a high of 33°C during the day and a low of 20°C at night. On Friday, temperatures are expected to be between 34°C and 21°C, while on Saturday temperatures will range between 33°C during the day and 19°C at night, according to the JMD.

In Zarqa, a high of 35°C is forecast during the day and a low of 18°C at night on Thursday, while on Friday temperatures are expected to range between 36°C and 19°C and between 35°C and 17°C on Saturday.

In Aqaba, temperatures are expected to reach 37°C during the day and 26°C at night on Thursday, while on Friday they will hover between 38°C and 27°C, and between 36°C and 25°C on Saturday, the weather department said.

AMMAN — Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Shahahdeh and his Egyptian counterpart Ezz El-Din Abu Steit on Wednesday discussed challenges facing the trade exchange between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Shahahdeh called for easing the registration process for incoming Jordanian agricultural products.

He also noted the importance of exchanging expertise and increasing cooperation in pest management. For his part, the Egyptian minister said that his country seeks to enhance cooperation with Jordan in the agriculture sector, according to Petra.  

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Wednesday met Kazakh Senate Chairwoman Dariga Nazarbaeva over means of bolstering bilateral relations, as well as the regional situation and issues of common interest.

Fayez, during the meeting that was held on the sidelines of the Kazakhstan-hosted Conference of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments, expressed the Kingdom's keenness on building on these relations, mainly in the political and economic fields.

Touching on the regional conditions, Fayez urged the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in supporting Jordan to end the Syrian crisis and enabling refugees to return to their homelands, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Nazarbaeva, for her part, stressed her country's keenness to continue building bilateral relations in various fields. The two sides agreed to keep up coordination and to advance parliamentary cooperation.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said the continuation of the occupation of Palestinian territories is a global moral tragedy.

Delivering Jordan’s address at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, King Abdullah said “no occupation, no displacements, no acts of force, can erase people's history, hopes, or rights, or change the true heritage of shared values among the three monotheistic faiths”.

His Majesty stressed that nothing can take away the international rights of the Palestinian people to equality, justice and self-determination, according to a Royal Court statement.

“It is a terrible irony that the land holy to three faiths, faiths which share the great commandment to love one's neighbour, should ever be a place of conflict,” the King said.

“Segregation, forced displacement, violence and mistrust do not belong in this Holy Land,” His Majesty added.

The King called for collective action to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“The two-state solution is the only genuine solution. Because, what is the alternative? One state, segregated, with unequal laws, dependent on force, betraying the deepest values of the good people on both sides? That is a formula for enduring conflict, not a path to stability, security and peace,” His Majesty said.

“Today, we still urgently need each and every member country to act — to act together with our global neighbours and achieve the better, safer world all of us need,” the King noted.

“What will our future look like, if millions of the world's young people continue to be denied the rich fruits of new technology and global wealth?” His Majesty asked, also urging joint action towards a healthy and safe environment.

“And let's ask ourselves: Why, in the 21st century, are crises still displacing millions of people? Across our world, there are more forced displacements today than at any time since World War II,” the King told heads of states and delegations at the UN.

“What will tomorrow's world look like, if we do not help end these crises and give refugees and hosts alike, the support they need to meet the future?” His Majesty added.

“These are the values that permeate the UN Charter — to live together in peace as good neighbours, to honour the rights and equality of all, to combine our efforts and unite our strengths, not only to maintain peace and security, but to improve human life, through justice, prosperity, and greater hope for humanity,” the King concluded.

Following is His Majesty’s full speech:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr President,

Mr Secretary General,

Your Excellencies:

This week, leaders from around the world will stand before you, here in this great General Assembly hall, to take part in the 2019 general debate.

We come here in recognition of a simple reality—this General Assembly is vital to meet the dangers and seize the opportunities of our world.

Collective action — this is the promise of the United Nations. Nearly 75 years ago, this organisation was created by the specific, individual actions of member countries, coming together to shape a better future. And today, we still urgently need each and every member country to act — to act together with our global neighbours and achieve the better, safer world all of us need.

For if we do not act, what hope do we have?

What will our future look like, if millions of the world's young people continue to be denied the rich fruits of new technology and global wealth? Can we afford to ignore the crisis of exclusion? Or will we do the right thing, support the energies and talents of all the world's youth and drive all economies forward, through fair and inclusive global growth?

What will our world look like, if we do not work together for a healthy and safe environment? Water-scarce countries like Jordan already know the dangers of climate change. A global crisis demands global action. How can we excuse delay?

And let's ask ourselves: Why, in the 21st century, are crises still displacing millions of people? Across our world, there are more forced displacements today than at any time since World War II. What will tomorrow's world look like, if we do not help end these crises and give refugees and hosts alike, the support they need to meet the future?

And how is it that today, people can still be disrespected and victimised for their faith? Atrocities at mosques, churches, synagogues, and temples have shocked the conscience of the world. But so should the dark, criminal ideas, from across the ideological spectrum, that drive these and other attacks.

Hard work by all of us is needed to defeat these groups and their message of hate and mistrust. But no effort stands a chance unless young men and women everywhere have a stake in a positive future. The forces of violence seek out the vulnerable and excluded. Can we afford to abandon the world's young people to extremism and despair?

My friends,

Collective action is also vital for ending bitter crises and conflicts. And no crisis has done more global damage than the core conflict in my region, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Neither side has achieved the durable peace that a secure future depends on, and regional and world stability has continued to pay the price.

It is a terrible irony that the land holy to three faiths, faiths which share the great commandment to love one's neighbour, should ever be a place of conflict. This is the land where prophets walked; the land where generations of Muslims, Christians, and Jews have sought to live in obedience to God, teaching their children compassion, mercy, and respect for others. Segregation, forced displacement, violence, and mistrust do not belong in this Holy Land.

Forty years ago, my father, His Majesty the late King Hussein, who loved peace, stood in this very chamber, and decried the occupation and attempts, in his words, "to eradicate from the world's memory centuries of history and tradition and of spiritual, moral and cultural ideals."

It is a global moral tragedy that the occupation continues. But no occupation, no displacements, no acts of force, can erase people's history, hopes, or rights, or change the true heritage of shared values among the three monotheistic faiths. And nothing can take away the international rights of the Palestinian people to equality, justice and self-determination.

My friends,

Young people ask me, why doesn't the world stand up for Palestinian rights?

Isn't it time to answer them, by showing that global justice and human rights belong to them, too?

It begins with respect for the holy sites and rejecting all attempts to alter the legal status of East Jerusalem and the authentic historic character of the Holy City, Jerusalem. What lessons do we teach young people, when armed personnel enter Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, even as Muslim worshippers gather to pray?

As Hashemite Custodian, I am bound by a special duty to protect Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites. But all of us have a stake and a moral obligation to uphold religious freedom and human rights. So let us safeguard the Holy City for all humanity, as a unifying city of peace.

We must also press forward towards an end to the conflict, and a just, lasting and durable peace through the realisation of the two state solution — a solution that is in accord with international law and UN resolutions, which provides an end to the conflict and creates a viable, independent, sovereign Palestinian state, on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side-by-side with Israel, in mutual peace and security.

The two-state solution is the only genuine solution. Because, what is the alternative? One state, segregated, with unequal laws, dependent on force, betraying the deepest values of the good people on both sides? That is a formula for enduring conflict, not a path to stability, security and peace.

My friends,

Tolerance, compassion, and the equality of all human beings—these are the values that make global harmony and collective action possible. And these are the values that permeate the UN Charter—to live together in peace as good neighbours, to honour the rights and equality of all, to combine our efforts and unite our strengths, not only to maintain peace and security, but to improve human life, through justice, prosperity, and greater hope for humanity.

These are the moral obligations that the UN founders set forth. Now they are our responsibility. We must not fail.

May peace and God’s blessings and mercy be upon you.”

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, held several talks over the past two days in New York with several heads of state and high-ranking officials on the sidelines of the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations. 

The King on Tuesday met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, with talks focusing on the distinguished bilateral relations between the two countries.

Talks also covered the two countries' keenness to bolster cooperation in various fields, a Royal Court statement said.

Discussions also covered the latest regional developments, with King Abdullah reiterating the need to intensify international efforts to reject all unilateral measures that would undermine the two-state solution, which is the only solution to the conflict, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 6, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.

Regional crises and efforts to reach political solutions to restore security and stability to the people of the region were also reviewed during the meeting.

The two sides discussed the Syrian refugee crisis and the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards host countries to enable them to continue effectively providing relief and humanitarian services to refugees.

In a meeting with United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, the King and Guterres discussed the latest regional developments, especially efforts to achieve peace in the region, the statement said.

King Abdullah stressed the need to step up international efforts to reject all unilateral measures that would undermine the two-state solution, which is the only solution to the conflict, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.

Discussions at the meeting, attended by Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Sima Bahous, covered regional crises and efforts to reach political solutions to restore security and stability to the people of the region.

The two sides stressed the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed recently in New York, under the framework of the Aqaba Process meetings, between Jordan and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.

Talks with President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Toqayev highlighted the importance of maintaining coordination and consultation over issues of mutual concern.

King Abdullah commended Kazakhstan's role in hosting the Astana talks, which aim to create suitable conditions for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

His Majesty also discussed bilateral ties and opportunities to enhance cooperation with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, according to the statement.

The meeting with the Australian PM covered the importance of continuing coordination and consultation on issues of mutual concern.

The latest regional developments, efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises, and efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach were also discussed.

On Monday, the King met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss means of bolstering the strategic partnership between the two countries and expanding cooperation in various fields, especially economic cooperation. 

The meeting covered the deep-rooted Jordanian-Japanese relations and the importance of maintaining coordination and consultation over issues of mutual concern, in service of the two countries and peoples, according to the Royal Court.

King Abdullah expressed appreciation for Japan’s support to various development programmes in Jordan.

Discussions at the meeting, which continued over a working dinner, touched on regional developments, efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises, and efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach, as well as Jordanian-Japanese coordination in this regard. 

Efforts to achieve peace were also discussed, with Prime Minister Abe reaffirming Japan's commitment to the two-state solution as the basis for resolving the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Prime Minister Abe commended Jordan’s efforts in maintaining the security and stability of the Middle East, highlighting the Syrian refugee burden shouldered by the Kingdom.

Moreover, he stressed Japan's keenness to enhance economic, trade and investment cooperation with Jordan, in the best interests of the two peoples.

Also on Monday, King Abdullah met with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, on the sidelines of the Leaders Dialogue: Strategic Responses to Terrorist and Violent Extremist Narratives.

The meeting covered bilateral relations and means to enhance cooperation in various fields.

King Abdullah expressed appreciation for Norway’s support to Jordan in development sectors, the statement added.

Discussions also covered regional developments, efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, and efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, talks focused on cooperation between Jordan and the UN agency in conserving cultural heritage, the statement said.

Discussions, attended by Bahous, also covered the role of UNESCO in safeguarding global heritage sites in danger, with King Abdullah stressing that Jordan will persist in undertaking its historical and religious role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh attended the meetings on Monday and Tuesday, according to the statement.