Jordan’s King Abdullah heads Wednesday for the US for talks with President George W. Bush on Friday, according to the Jordan Times.
The first Arab leader to meet with Bush since the September rrorist attacks in the US, King Abdullah is expected to discuss regional and international developments in the wake of the New York and Washington terrorist attacks, and ways to work toward the resumption of the staggering Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.
“His Majesty will reiterate Jordan's support for the fight against international terrorism within international efforts,” one official said.
“He will also tell President Bush that the best guarantee against terror is to eliminate its root causes and solve regional crises, such as the Palestinian problem,” the official continued.
“Jordan's position also categorically rejects any attack against any Arab state,” he added.
Bilateral ties and prospects for boosting economic cooperation were also set to figure high in Friday's talks at the White House, especially following the approval by the US Senate late Monday of a landmark Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, the paper said.
The ratification of the Jordan-US FTA, passed by a voice vote after being bogged down in Democrat-Republican infighting for almost a year.
The trade pact approval was widely seen as a timely gesture to a key Middle East ally at a time when Washington is trying to build an international coalition to fight terror, and deems the participation of moderate Muslim countries crucial to the success of its campaign – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
