AMMAN — Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Khasawneh on Tuesday met with Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren.

Khasawneh praised the “strong” relations between Jordan and the Netherlands and expressed his keenness to strengthen bilateral security cooperation and multilateral cooperation with the EU, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He referred to the "Aqaba Meetings", hosted by the Netherlands several years ago in partnership with Jordan, which coordinated international efforts in the fight against terrorism.

The prime minister also discussed the potential for enhanced cooperation between the two kingdoms in various fields, such as commerce, tourism and economy, adding that the number of tourists from the Netherlands visiting Jordan has doubled this year compared with last year.

The premier reviewed Jordan’s political, economic and administrative reforms, which aim to promote economic development, improve partisan life and enhance public sector efficiency and services for citizens.

Khasawneh also discussed the Syrian refugees hosted by Jordan, where approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees reside. He also noted the impact of the issue on education, healthcare and the job market.

He mentioned the sharp decrease in financial support from international sources for Jordan's response plan to the Syrian crisis, which currently accounts for 16 per cent of the required amount.

Khasawneh and Ollongren also went over military cooperation, such as exchanging expertise and holding joint training courses.

For her part, Ollongren stressed the close relations between the Netherlands and Jordan and their armed forces, citing the historical ties between the Royal families of the two kingdoms.

She stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation in defence, exchanging expertise and visits and holding joint training drills between both countries’ armed forces.

 

© Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).