Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations

Ahmed Safadi, Jordan’s lower house speaker, on Wednesday met Tariq Ahmad, UK’s minister of state for the MENA, South Asia, and the UN. (Twitter: @tariqahmadbt)
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Updated 01 June 2023
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Jordan, UK ministers discuss boosting bilateral relations

  • Ahmad emphasized his country’s enthusiasm for the expansion of bilateral cooperation while expressing “great” appreciation for Jordan’s efforts to assist refugees

AMMAN: Ahmed Safadi, Jordan’s lower house speaker, on Wednesday met Tariq Ahmad, UK’s minister of state for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and the UN, to help boost bilateral relations in parliamentary fields, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Safadi spoke of the “deep-rooted” friendship between Jordan and the UK and emphasized the importance of joint cooperation to serve common interests to achieve regional security and stability and boost support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state.

Safadi said Jordan was taking “confident” steps toward enhancing its political, administrative, and economic systems, and that the country had undertaken a “comprehensive” national project to achieve its development goals.

Ahmad said that the UK placed “remarkable” importance on Jordan’s role in the region, highlighting Amman’s “central and important” role in achieving security and stability in the Middle East.

He also stressed his country’s support for Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites, as well as Jordan’s vision based on the two-state solution to achieve comprehensive peace.

Ahmad emphasized his country’s enthusiasm for the expansion of bilateral cooperation while expressing “great” appreciation for Jordan’s efforts to assist refugees.


Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says

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Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says

  • Palestinian technocrat leader backed by Washington to administer the enclave makes announcement
DAVOS: Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt will reopen next week after largely being shut during the Israel-Hamas war, the Palestinian technocrat leader backed by Washington to administer the enclave announced on Thursday.
Ali Shaath made the announcement by video link during an event in Davos hosted ‌by President ‌Donald Trump, who ‌convened ⁠a group of ‌leaders to formally launch a “Board of Peace” initially focused on cementing Gaza’s ceasefire.
A key unfulfilled element of the ceasefire, brokered by Trump in October, has been the reopening of Gaza’s main ⁠gateway to the world to allow the entry ‌and exit of Palestinians.
“I ‍am pleased ‍to announce the Rafah crossing will ‍open next week in both directions. For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate. It is a lifeline and symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said.
“Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no ⁠longer closed to the future and to the war,” Shaath said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has controlled the Rafah crossing since 2024.
The ceasefire deal left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, including the area that abuts the border crossing. Hamas controls the remainder ‌of the enclave.