Speech of His Majesty King Abdullah II At the Presidential Palace

Your Excellency,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had the privilege of meeting with His Excellency the President this evening. We had a very productive session where we discussed the relations between our two countries and the ways to enhance cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields.

We have a number of agreements between the Republic of Romania and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in trade and private enterprise, as with the promotion and protection of investment, in transport, cultural cooperation, and avoidance of double taxation.

The private sector in both countries must be encouraged to be more active in implementing these agreements. This is why I have asked to meet the leading members of the private sector in Romania tomorrow morning to assure them of our commitment to promote our bilateral relations.

We had a chance to discuss the regional situation in the Middle East. We both agreed that there is an urgent need to bring the region back to the path of peace. I briefed His Excellency on the outcome of the Arab Summit in Tunis, and on the commitment shown by the Arab countries to pursue a peaceful solution with Israel. We still believe that the road map, which has been sanctioned by the entire international community, offers a viable mechanism to pursue a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, in line with international legality and the resolutions of the United Nations.

We also discussed the situation in Iraq, ahead of the June handover date. We reiterated the need for the international community to address the establishment of an inclusive viable political system that would allow Iraq and the Iraqi people the opportunity to play a positive and prominent role in the development of the region.

I hope that we will get the chance in the future to meet again, and to continue to cement the ties between our two peoples. I am grateful for this opportunity and I hope to see you again in Jordan.

Thank you very much.