Biden Pledges to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation with Jordan
Arab World
Washington - Hiba al-Qudsi
President Joe Biden on Monday hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II for talks at the White House, where he said the United States aimed to boost cooperation between the strategic partners. Biden praised King Abdullah II as a “loyal and decent friend.” He added: “We’ve been hanging out together for a long time.” The visit to the White House was the first by an Arab leader since Biden took office six months ago. “We’re going to continue to strengthen our bilateral cooperation,” Biden said as he sat next to Abdullah for an Oval Office photo spray. Biden thanked the king for his “enduring and strategic relationship” with the US over the years, noting that the two men have known each other for decades, back to when Abdullah’s father King Hussein ruled the Middle Eastern kingdom until his death in 1999. The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria and a wobbly security situation in Iraq. At least eight drone attacks have targeted the US military presence in Iraq since Biden took office in January, as well as 17 rocket attacks. Ahead of the meeting, the US president said he looks forward to receiving the King, who will be joined by his wife, Queen Rania, and his son Crown Prince Hussein. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting “will be an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.” Abdullah had a difficult relationship with former US President Donald Trump, who he saw as undercutting a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians with his 2017 declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Biden has no plans to reverse US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital, and his administration has even offered praise for the Trump-brokered accords — a rare instance of the Democratic administration speaking positively of the former administration’s policymaking. Biden officials plan to stress to Abdullah that the accords are not an “end run” on finding the way to a peace deal that includes a Palestinian state, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The president is set to host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House next week, and Biden has invited Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, to visit later this summer. The monarch is expected to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday and also hold talks with members of Congress.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3089476/biden-pledges-strengthen-bilateral-cooperation-jordan
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