Abdullah II, Norwegian FM discuss region, ties

His Majesty King Abdullah II on Tuesday received Norwegian foreign minister Borge Brende for a discussion on ways to cement Jordanian-Norwegian ties, and developments in the Middle East. The talks covered efforts to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israel based on the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions – an independent Palestinian state on national Palestinian soil with East Jerusalem as its capital and living in peace alongside Israel. Regarding the conflict in Syria, King Abdullah reiterated Jordan’s firm support for a political solution involving all Syrians that safeguards the unity of the country and its people. In that context, the King referred to the burdens posed to Jordan for hosting about 600,000 Syrian refugees despite the Kingdom’s limited resources, urging the international community to shoulder its responsibility to enable the country to carry out its humanitarian and relief effort towards the displaced Syrians. Brende, who is on a tour of the Middle East, said both Jordan and Norway should pursue efforts to bolster relations in various fields and enhance cooperation “to serve the interests of the two peoples.” He said Oslo recognized Jordan’s humanitarian role in hosting the refugees and the King’s pivotal role to bring about regional peace and security. Norway, Brende said, would continue its support to the Kingdom to shoulder its role towards the refugees.