AMMAN (Petra) -- Prime Minister Faisal Fayez on Tuesday met with a US Congressional delegation led by Congressman Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut) to discuss the Iraqi and Palestinian situations.
The premier stressed Jordan's support for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, and highlighted the importance of adhering to the Quartet-sponsored roadmap as the way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
As for developments in Iraq, where continued violence by insurgents threatens the security of the country, Fayez underlined the need for building Iraq's security institutions to restore and maintain stability in order to pave the way for the establishment of the state's political institutions.
Jordan has provided training to thousands of Iraqi military troops and police over the past year.
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Bassem Awadallah, who attended Tuesday's meeting, expressed appreciation for the grants the US Congress has provided to the Kingdom.
In June, the US granted $119.05 million in economic assistance to Jordan via two grant agreements: One aimed at reducing the Kingdom's foreign debt and the other to fund job training and other programmes to encourage economic growth and opportunity.
Shays, who is chairman of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Terrorism and National Security Committee, commended the efforts by His Majesty King Abdullah and the government to implement reforms in the country.
Shays was the first American congressman to enter Iraq since the US-led war began there March 20, 2003. He went into Iraq via Kuwait -- in defiance of objections by the US military -- to check on the distribution of humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. The delegation visiting Jordan is made up of fellow Republican Congressmen Wayne T. Gilchrest (Maryland), Mark Kennedy (Minnesota), Rush Holt (New Jersey) and Betty McCollum (Minnesota).
© Jordan Times 2004
