http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12346663
King Abdullah II: relations Jordan-Russia are excellent
His Majesty King Abdullah II's Interview with ITAR TASS News Agency on the eve
of His Majesty's visit to Russia.
Q. Your Majesty, how do you estimate the relations of Russia and Jordan? How do
you think the agreements you made during those visits are being carried out? In
which particular field or fields is there most progress? And in which there
still yet more to be achieved?
A.Let me begin by saying that I am looking forward to this visit. I will be
meeting both President Putin and First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev while I
am in Moscow to discuss how our ties can be further consolidated. We have been
honoured by President Putin's commitment to developing and expanding Russia's
relations with Jordan during his tenure, and I congratulate him on his service
as president.
Our relations are excellent, both at the political level and in terms of
cultural exchange. Russia's involvement in the Middle East peace process is
very much appreciated, and it will be vital in the months to come as
Palestinians and Israelis begin to discuss final status issues. Our two
countries also enjoy a high degree of security coordination and cooperation. I
am also pleased by the level of cultural exchange. Two thousand students are
now studying in Russia - they will add to our pool of 20,000 Russian speakers
in the country. We are keen to welcome more Russians to Jordan - around
100,000 visited in 2006, many of them on religious pilgrimage.
But I believe that there is also real promise in the economic sphere,
especially trade and investment relations. Last year when President Putin
visited Jordan, our two countries signed an agreement on the promotion and
protection of investment, and once it takes effect, I hope it will have a
substantial impact, because there are numerous opportunities for Russian
investment in Jordan, especially in infrastructure projects and in the oil and
gas industry. We also signed an agreement between the Amman Chamber of
Industry and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry to establish a joint
business council, and this is a key vehicle for putting businesses in touch
with each other to explore means of collaboration.
One other sphere of cooperation, and I hope to discuss this with the president,
is in alternative energy. Like many other countries, we are concerned about the
rising price of oil on the living standards of our people and we are also keen
to protect the environment. A Jordanian delegation visited Russia last year to
discuss this, and I understand that a team of Russian experts will come to
Amman this month to see how we can collaborate in nuclear energy development.
Jordan has launched its own nuclear energy program, and Russian expertise will
be a tremendous asset to its development and future success.
Q. Your Majesty, what are your priorities regarding your foreign policy?
A. Jordan's top priority is Middle East peace, beginning with the establishment
of a viable, independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. But we
are also doing everything we can to support security, stability and national
reconciliation in Iraq and Lebanon. Our region needs peace; too many people
have suffered for too long. Protracted conflict has also delayed the
socio-economic development of most of the countries in the region. Many of us,
including Jordan, have undertaken extensive reforms and with great success. But
for us to fully realize the benefits of reform, we need to be able to exchange
goods and services with our neighbours and facilitate the movement of people.
So in that respect, conflict holds everyone up, and the longer we delay
conflict resolution, the more we risk greater instability down the road: 60% of
the Arab population is under the age of 24, and the share of the population
held by youth will not peak for three or four
more decades. Today, unemployment is around 11% on average across the region.
That means we need 54 million jobs by the year 2020 just to maintain that rate.
It's a difficult goal to achieve when the region is bogged down in conflict. On
the other hand, if we could end conflict in our region, imagine the impact that
our youth will have on the socio-economic transformation of our region.
Jordan's other related priority is to build international partnerships that can
help us protect and deepen the tremendous development gains we have already
made. In 2006, we started the G11 initiative, which groups eleven lower and
middle income countries. G11 countries share a commitment to homegrown
economic, social and political reforms, and they are really at a turning point
in their socio-economic development in that they are trying to move into higher
income brackets. These countries are challenged by sudden fluxes in global
markets, for example, from rising oil prices; some, like Jordan, are in regions
where conflict is a serious impediment to consolidating growth. Our objective
is to work together and with the G8 to help shield ourselves from these
problems.
The G11 countries - Croatia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras,
Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay and Sri Lanka - have identified four
areas where international support would be very effective: investment promotion
that supports higher productivity and trade-based growth; trade development,
including market access and technical assistance; debt-burden alleviation, to
reduce pressures on financial and budgetary space and targeted grant assistance
that addresses poverty and health and supports initiatives in education and
infrastructure.
Last November, we opened a dialogue on cooperation with the G8 presidency in
Germany, and we look forward to Russia's support of this initiative as an
important voice in the G8. I hope dialogue can be the foundation of a new,
cooperative partnership between the two groups that helps developing countries
sustain gains hard won through their unwavering commitment to wide-ranging
reforms.
Q. Your Majesty, when considering your policy on internal affairs, you have
achieved a great deal, including social and economic reforms. Under your reign
Jordan has gained a strong investment climate. How else are you aiming to
develop your country further?
A. We have built a strong investment climate. This has been complemented by the
diversification of our export base, and numerous economic and structural
reforms that have further boosted the contribution of the private sector to our
economic growth, which in 2007 reached 5.8% in the last three quarters. We are
shifting the focus now to a better distribution of development gains. We want
all Jordanians to benefit from this growth and, at the same time, be
participants in propelling the country's development. To ensure that this
happens, we have embarked on a very unique nation-wide programme to establish
special economic and/or development zones in the various governorates. The
Aqaba Special Economic Zone has been our model for this. The ASEZ was conceived
as a special development area to create an economic engine of growth in the
Aqaba region. It is based on a model of decentralized governance and built on
the competitive attributes of Aqaba - tourism
and logistics. We introduced world-class investment incentives and a central
development vehicle that has created an environment conducive to investment and
job creation. Its success has encouraged us to adapt and replicate this model
throughout the country.
Q. Your Majesty, you had a rich and distinguished military career. What is the
secret of your success? What is the highlight of your career as an Army officer?
A.Military service is part of the Hashemite family tradition, and my
grandfather and father believed that service was part of their duty as
individuals who had been entrusted with leadership. My father also always
viewed the military service as a way to build character and learn
self-discipline and remain in touch with people from diverse walks of life. So
he insisted that his sons serve. For anyone to succeed in the military, he or
she must be sincerely dedicated to national service, and in this I am no
different than all my brothers in arms in Jordan, who serve the country
willingly, faithfully and with the highest degree of professionalism,
regardless of their rank. I am honoured to be their commander in chief.
Q. Your Majesty, Jordan is playing a hugely vital role in the Middle East
peace process. You have good relations with Israel. What in your estimation is
the most suitable way to bring about a successful solution on the issues
dividing countries in the Middle East?
A.The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is the core conflict in our
region, and if the parties can arrive at a just, negotiated settlement, they
will take our region one large step closer to security and stability. The
process that started in Annapolis, is, from our perspective a positive
development. But it also may be our last chance for peace for many, many years
to come. So it is especially important for the international community to stay
engaged. We know from experience that, although the parties themselves have to
take the tough decisions and do the negotiating, they have been unable to move
forward without the support and involvement of the international community.
This is something that helps both sides feel confident in the realm of politics
and diplomacy, and helps them take actions on the ground towards each other
that help build confidence on the ground among people. International engagement
is important right now, and it will
become more so as the parties approach final status talks.
Jordan is one of a core group of Arab states that is committed to fostering an
environment of confidence between the parties. Together, we have advanced a
proposal not just for Israeli-Palestinian peace, but for a comprehensive
settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The implementation of the Arab Peace
Initiative would create two states - Israel and an independent Palestinian
state - living alongside each other in peace and security. It supports an
agreed solution to the Palestinian refugee question and envisions collective
security guarantees for all the countries of the region including Israel. The
initiative reflects the principles of international legality embodied in the UN
Security Council resolutions - 194, 242 and 338 - pertaining to the conflict.
Since the resumption of talks between the parties, which began last November in
Annapolis, we have also spoken in one voice about the importance of both sides
upholding their respective commitments
outlined in the Road Map. Our job, the Arab states and the international
community, is to empower them to do so. We need to fully support President
Abbas in areas such as institution-building, especially strengthening capacity
in the area of security, and in stimulating the Palestinian economy, which has
been terribly damaged by Israeli restrictions on the free movement of goods and
people and international sanctions.
In this regard, Russia's support for President Abbas and the Palestinian
National Authority is very much appreciated, especially in terms of training of
security personnel. And obviously, as Palestinians and Israelis move forward,
Russia can play a valuable supportive role in achieving a comprehensive
Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Q. Your Majesty, some time has passed since you made the Amman Message. How
successfully has this agreement been implemented to date?
A. The purpose of the Amman Message was to articulate clearly the principles
and values of Islam, which have been misappropriated and distorted both by
extremists in the Muslim world and extremists elsewhere. In the case of
extremism in our part of the world, the principles of Islam have been twisted
in order to justify acts of terrorism - which is entirely alien to Islam. These
acts give extremists elsewhere a justification to vilify Islam as a religion
that promotes violence and one that must be confronted. The Amman Message is an
answer to both of them. Our religion is one of peace and tolerance, and it
requires the faithful to live accordingly and strive for harmonious relations
with people of other faiths and cultures. I should add that the Amman Message
also applies within the Muslim community itself, which has seen its share of
sectarian strife, unfortunately.
There is a tremendous awareness in the international Muslim community of he
dangers of allowing extremists to set the agenda through their actions, which
are driven by hatred rather than a grounded understanding of Islam. And many of
the most prominent Muslim scholars in the world, from all Islamic schools of
thought, have embraced the Amman Message as a result, as has the Organization
of the Islamic Conference.
Q. Your Majesty, what message would you like to give to Russian people aheadof
your latest visit to the country?
A.I am very pleased that Jordan and Russia enjoy good relations, and we
appreciate the Russian people's support and friendship and look forward to
further strengthening our ties. Currently, there are over 2,000 Jordanians
studying in Russia and around 20,000 Jordanians speak Russian - we hope that
this kind of person-to-person exchange will continue and flourish even further.
Jordan has a lot to offer and we strongly believe that there is great room for
cooperation in various sectors, from business and trade and industry, to
education and the arts.
At this time in particular, when there is great opportunity for peace in my
region, I would also like to underscore to the Russian people the importance of
their country's role in the Middle East. Russia's support to the peace process
is key in helping Palestinians and Israelis overcome obstacles in the coming
period, and Jordan wishes to thank Russia for its attention to this core
conflict in my region - one that can have global repercussions if not resolved
fairly and quickly.
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