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AMMAN — US cable TV news network MSNBC, which is owned by NBCUniversal, conducted an interview with His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday.

In the interview, conducted by NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, King Abdullah stressed that the two-state solution is the only means of ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

The King warned that a one-state solution means an apartheid future for Israel, which would be catastrophic, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty touched on a number of regional issues, stressing Jordan’s support for Saudi Arabia following the recent attacks on Aramco’s oil facilities.

The King reaffirmed the distinguished Jordanian-Saudi relations, highlighting that the security of Saudi Arabia is of the utmost importance to Jordan.

Details of the interview are scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Monday postponing the start of Parliament’s ordinary session to November 10, 2019, according to a Royal Court statement.

Parliament was slated to be summoned to convene for its last ordinary session of its term at the beginning of October, in accordance with the Constitution, but under Article 78 the King has the power to postpone the session by no more than two months.

Article 78 of the Constitution reads: "The King shall summon the National Assembly to an ordinary session on the first day of October of each year or, if that day is an official holiday, on the first day following the official holiday, provided that the King may, by Royal Decree published in the Official Gazette, postpone for a period not exceeding two months the meeting of the Assembly to a date to be fixed by the Royal Decree."

Another Royal Decree was issued summoning Parliament to convene as of November 10, according to the statement.

The two Houses of Parliament convened for an extraordinary session on July 21, while another Royal Decree was issued proroguing the extraordinary session as of September 7.

A joint assembly for the two chambers of Parliament was held to endorse the Social Security Law, as amended by the Senate.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, met on Monday in New York with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Discussions, attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, covered the strategic and deep-rooted ties between Jordan and the United Kingdom, and the latest regional developments, a Royal Court statement said.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the Leaders Dialogue: Strategic Responses to Terrorist and Violent Extremist Narratives, addressed the importance to expand cooperation in various fields and maintain coordination and consultation between the two countries on various issues of mutual concern.

King Abdullah expressed appreciation for the UK’s continued support to Jordan, according to the statement.

Turning to the Palestinian cause, His Majesty reiterated that the two-state solution is the only means of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which guarantees 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.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al Khasawneh attended the meeting.

Also on Monday, His Majesty, accompanied by the Crown Prince, met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, to discuss ways to bolster cooperation between Jordan and New Zealand in various areas, as well as regional developments.

At the meeting, also attended by Prince Ghazi, discussions covered the importance of maintaining coordination and consultation, especially on fighting terrorism within a holistic approach.

The meeting, attended by Khasawneh, also covered Jordan’s efforts to fight terrorism and extremism, including the Aqaba Process meetings, the statement added.

For her part, Prime Minister Ardern expressed her country's appreciation for Jordan's role in pursuing peace and stability in the region and the world, as well as the Kingdom’s efforts to combat terrorism and its dark ideology.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah met on Sunday with representatives of international and American Jewish organisations on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.

King Abdullah stressed that the two-state solution is the only means of achieving peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, 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, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty noted the important role of Jewish organisations in supporting efforts to achieve just and lasting peace in the region.

Discussions also covered efforts to reach political solutions to regional crises and efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Al-Khasawneh, Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sima Bahous, and Jordan’s Ambassador in Washington, DC, Dina Kawar attended the meeting.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Monday met his Kazakh counterpart Nurlan Nigmatulin, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov over furthering joint cooperation in various fields.

During the Kazakh-held meeting, Tarawneh highlighted the importance of the new cargo route to be launched between the two countries aimed at increasing trade exchange, as well as entering a joint agreement in the investment field serving as a legal framework for bilateral cooperation, the Jordan news Agency, Petra, reported.

Sklyar said that the cargo route will be ready within 10 days, noting that it is important to exempt Jordanian businessmen from visa requirements.

Touching on the Jordanian-Kazakh position on different issues, Tarawneh reaffirmed the Kingdom's support to Kazakh initiatives, especially in the field of nuclear disarmament as well as its efforts in the Astana talks on Syria.

He also called on coordinating joint parliamentary stances, mainly on the Palestinian cause, stressing the Kingdom's steadfast position on Palestine, defending Jerusalem and the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Nigmatulin drew attention to the role of exchanged visits in exploring the two countries' investment opportunities, lauding the Kingdom's investment-attracting environment, while calling for the bolstering of cooperation in the agriculture, transportation, medical, energy, educational and cultural exchange sectors.

Tarawneh's meeting comes a day before his participation in the Fourth Meeting of Speakers of the Eurasian Countries' Parliaments titled "Greater Eurasia", which includes 90 speakers from parliaments and parliamentary organisations from Asia and Europe.

AMMAN — Jordan imports almost 95 per cent of its energy needs, which requires securing stable sources as part of the Kingdom's strategy to cut energy imports to 60 per cent by 2025, Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy Ziad Jibril said on Monday.

During the inauguration of the Czech Solar Energy Mission Business Forum, Jibril said that the Kingdom has been successful with its renewable energy projects as it now produces 12 per cent of its electricity through them, as compared to 2 per cent in 2014.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Czech Republic embassy in Amman represented by Ambassador Josef Koutsky, the Amman Chamber of Industry, the Jordan Europe Business Association (JEBA) and EDAMA organisation collaboratively began the business forum in Amman.

Jibril said: "We managed to attract more than $4 billion of investments during the last five years in this sector".

"I think now because we have these challenges in the energy sector, we are updating our energy strategy," he said, adding that the gathered Jordanian and Czech companies should benefit from each others' expertise in the field.

Vice minister at the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, Eduard Muricky, said: "This is my first visit to Jordan and I see strong interest in cooperation with my country."

He noted that the forum is an opportunity to address the 55th anniversary of Jordanian-Czech diplomatic relations and His Majesty King Abdullah's 20th anniversary of his Accession to the Throne.

Muricky said that Jordan is one of the safest and most stable countries in the Middle East, noting "you could hardly find a better place in this region with more talented and generous people as well as friendly business".

In light of the Czech Republic's interest in Jordanian economic prosperity, his country supported the adoption of the simplified rules of origin (trade rules between the EU and Jordan) allowing Jordanian companies easier access to European markets, the vice minister said.

He highlighted Jordan's strategic position as a trade hub in the region, especially as the border with Iraq and Syria has been reopened, noting that Czech exporters and investors are willing to work with Jordanian partners to explore available opportunities.

Muricky concluded that, like Jordan, the Czech Republic generates 11 per cent of its power through renewable energy, and the aim is to boost solar and wind-generated power up to 20 per cent. 

In his remarks at the forum, President of the JEBA Jamal Badran said: "The solar energy potential in Jordan is enormous, as it lies within the solar belt of the world, with average solar radiation ranging between four and seven kilowatt hours per metre square, which is one of the highest in the world."

"This corresponds to a total annual potential of 1,400 to 2,300 kilowatt hours per metre square," he continued, noting that solar energy is still not utilised enough in the Kingdom, but there are plans to increase its use.

The energy master plan includes equipping 30 per cent of all households with solar water heating systems by the year 2020, Badran said, adding that 2,400 wind and solar photovoltaic (conversion of light into electricity) projects are expected to be developed in Jordan by 2021, 1,134 of which are already operational.

Badran said that the total Czech exports to Jordan amount to 37 million euros while Jordanian exports did not exceed 139,000 euros, noting that this "imbalanced trade" requires modifications.

AMMAN — The teachers’ strike “sums up” the situation in Jordan, most notably, the difficult economic conditions facing citizens and the government alike, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said on Monday. 

It has been years since citizens have experienced improvement in living conditions, the premier said, noting that public sector wages have not kept up with the continuous growth in inflation rates, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

During a meeting with a number of leading intellectuals and directors of research centres, held at the Prime Ministry, Razzaz also shed light on the sub-par growth levels in the private sector, in addition to the challenge of bridging the budget deficit. 

The teachers’ issue constitutes part of the public sector’s woes, the premier said, posing the question: “Will the situation remain the same or are we to create a shift in the public sector, which will not be an easy task and may face backlash?”

“The government is patient in regards to dialogue for a solution, however, the suspension of students’ studies holds everyone responsible; the government and the Jordan Teachers Association’s council,” Razzaz underlined, adding that out of “a sense of responsibility”, the latter must not prolong the strike. 

The government, on various executive levels, requires institutions and research centres to play their role in conducting studies that help in decision making and the evaluation of decisions currently in effect, the premier noted. 

He highlighted that the government has set a priorities programme, tied to a set timeframe and performance indicators for accountability. 

“We hope this approach exists to evaluate the performance indicators set by the government and any others that could be for economic development, political life, labour and human rights,” the premier said.

He noted that the Prime Ministry has a decision support unit that conducts studies, as well as a performance evaluation unit, both of which need to coordinate with research centres on several issues. 

AMMAN — A total of 26,000 households were provided with solar heaters through the Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF), the Energy Ministry announced on Monday.

Households benefitting from Royal makruma (benefaction) received the heaters at a 100 per cent subsidy rate, while other beneficiaries received a 50-per cent subsidy, according to a ministry statement. 

Energy Minister Hala Zawati said the project contributes to saving JD6 to JD15 for these families every month while saving some 29.5 gigawatts per hour of electricity annually which is worth some JD2.15 million. 

The project also involves reducing CO2 emissions by 18,900 tonnes each year, which plays a role in the Kingdom’s commitments to climate change issues, Zawati added.

The minister noted that JREEEF, as part of the national strategy to utilise renewable energy resources and rationalise energy consumption, has designed a programme to support households by subsidising electricity prices through three plans: installing solar heaters; installing photovoltaic (process of using light to create electricity) cell systems and installing LED units. 

Zawati pointed out that the JREEEF has finished installing 3,513 heaters in the first phase of the project through a full grant in cooperation with the Jordan River Foundation, adding that the first phase was implemented nationwide in 2015 with a budget of JD1.5 million.

The fund is expected to complete the second phase by the end of 2019 as some 20,000 heaters are intended to be installed in various areas across the Kingdom with a subsidy rate of 50 per cent and a total cost of JD10 million, she added. 

The third phase, dedicated to beneficiaries of Royal makruma, helped 2,262 out of 2,448 families with the solar heaters in the phase that started at the beginning of 2019 and will end in the third quarter of the year.

The total budget of the phase stands at JD1 million, Zawati highlighted.   

The minister also noted that the solar heater project is partially funded by a grant presented by JREEEF with a total cost of JD12.6 million, where the fund contributes to JD7.6 million and the remaining cost is incurred by beneficiary households.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an April Criminal Court ruling which sentenced a bus driver to five years in prison after convicting him of molesting a child in Amman in December 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of molesting the 16-year-old child on December 15 and handed him the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the victim and her sister were heading to their home and decided to take a bus.

“The defendant took the victims to a deserted area where he molested one of them and then dropped them off,” the court documents added.

The two victims returned home and informed their family about the incident, who then alerted the authorities, the documents added.

"The victims were able to identify the defendant from a police lineup and confirmed he was the perpetrator," the higher court ruled.

The defendant had contested the Criminal Court’s ruling arguing that “the court relied on contradictory testimonies by the victim and disregarded other evidence that could have helped the young man”.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling.

The Cassation Court ruled that the Criminal Court’s judgement fell within the law, that the proceedings were proper and that the sentence given was satisfactory.

The Cassation Court comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zoubi, Bassem Mubeidin, Hammad Ghzawi and Saeed Mugheid.

AMMAN — The Jordanian National Union party has criticised the Jordan Teachers Association’s (JTA) “recent rhetoric”, voiced by its media spokesperson and a number of the syndicate’s speakers at rallies and on social media platforms. 

In a statement, the party noted that such rhetoric oversteps the association’s right to make demands, and tackles issues of a political dimension that do not align with the teachers’ goal, which originally sought improvement to their living and financial conditions. 

Jordan has authority and institutions capable of defending its citizens, the statement said, noting the importance of maintaining security and stability in view of regional and international turbulence. 

The party reiterated its respect for the role of teachers and the necessity of improving their living conditions, calling on the JTA to hold dialogue with the government to end the strike. 

In a different statement, the Coalition of Centrist Parties condemned the JTA’s statements that “call for an escalation of the situation and reflect the lack of vision by JTA administrators”. 

The coalition stressed that the JTA’s “violation of students’ rights is unacceptable in the presence of a strong state and institutions that work for the benefit of the Kingdom”.