AMMAN -- His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday warned that the continuing Syrian crisis might leave a void that extremist groups would exploit to achieve their own agendas.
During a meeting with US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) and an accompanying delegation, the King reiterated Jordan's position in support of a political solution to the Syrian crisis that safeguards the unity and independence of all Syrians and ends the bloodshed.
He also noted that the increasing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan weighs heavily on Jordan's economy, calling on the international community to continue helping the Kingdom to serve the refugees, whose total number is approaching 300,000.
Discussions during the meeting, also attended by HRH Prince Feisal, covered the latest regional developments and bilateral relations, a Royal Court statement said.
The King reviewed ways to revive peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution, emphasising the importance of the US role in this regard.
On Jordan's reform efforts, His Majesty underlined that Wednesday's elections are a milestone in the Kingdom's endeavour to achieve comprehensive reform and will be followed by other stages in the future, according to the statement.
For their part, McCain and the visiting senators commended Jordan's efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and its democratisation process, highly valuing the Kingdom for its promotion of the true essence of Islam and hosting the Syrian refugees, the statement said.
The meeting was attended by His Majesty's Office Director Imad Fakhoury, Planning Minister Jafar Hassan and US Ambassador to Jordan Stewart Jones.
© Jordan Times 2013
