LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela to discuss ties and regional development at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman on Monday.

King Abdullah said that the cooperation agreement and memorandums of understanding between Jordan and Malta highlight their commitment to strengthening private sector collaboration.

Crown Prince Hussein attended the meeting, which highlighted the need to receive sick and injured Palestinian children from Gaza for medical treatment.

Abela praised Jordan for promoting stability and peace in the region, providing medical care for Gaza’s children, and offering assistance to Syrian refugees, the Petra news agency reported.

King Abdullah stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the flow of humanitarian aid, reiterating Jordan’s commitment to working with allies for peace and praising Malta’s role in these efforts. He said that tensions in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, along with Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza, threaten regional stability.

The king and Abela witnessed the signing of a framework agreement for cooperation, along with three memorandums of understanding in the areas of water and energy, tourism, and language exchange and archiving.

On Monday, Abela met with Jordan’s Prime Minister Jafar Hassan to discuss cooperation in the economy, culture, education, and academia sectors.

Their discussion focused on building partnerships in the pharmaceutical and medical industries, future technologies, and potential twinning agreements between tourist cities in both countries, Petra added.