Foreign Secretary met the King of Jordan
The Foreign Secretary William Hague met His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan and the Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
After the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:
“Jordan and the UK are longstanding friends and allies and it was a pleasure to welcome King Abdullah to London today.
“Ahead of the meeting of the Friends of Syria in Morocco tomorrow we discussed the growing crisis in that country. I paid tribute to the generosity of the Jordanian people in hosting the significant and growing number of Syrian refugees. And we welcomed the formation of the Syrian National Coalition and its efforts to provide a credible and inclusive alternative to the Assad regime.
“We agreed on the need for a new initiative to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, led by the US and supported by the wider international community. This is needed as a matter of urgency, before the window closes on the two state solution.
“King Abdullah described his efforts to institute reforms in Jordan that would bring about greater political participation, transparency and economic opportunity. I welcomed these and emphasised the importance of delivering an inclusive political process led by King Abdullah that provides substantive democratic reforms. The UK stands ready to support this work, in particular through the Arab Partnership. We discussed the difficult economic situation in Jordan and what the UK and EU can do to help Jordan carry through difficult but necessary economic reforms.
“I also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Jordanian Government in our efforts to return Abu Qatada.”