US renews commitment towards Jordan's security

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met here King Abdullah II of Jordan during which they discussed regional security issues, and the ranking official re-underlined Washington's obligations towards the Kingdom security, the Pentagon announced. The Pentagon said in a statement that Hagel and King Abdullah, during their Thursday's meeting, "reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Jordan relationship and the United States' commitment to Jordan's security." The statement added that they discussed "a host of regional security issues in advance of the King's meeting with President (Barack) Obama in California later on Friday, to include the challenges presented by the conflict in Syria." Obama will fly to California on Friday for his scheduled summit talks with the Jordanian Monarch on a host of Middle Eastern issues. According to a White House statement, the two leaders will meet in Sunnylands, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, California. King Abdullah has been in Washington this week, attending meetings with members of Congress as well as at the Pentagon. The Jordanian Royal Court had issued a statement regarding the King schedule in the US noting that his talks with President Obama would focus on the historic friendship and partnership between Jordan and the US, and ways to advance bilateral ties in a way that boosts efforts by the two leaderships to promote peace, prosperity and stability throughout the Middle East. The summit will also address opportunities to strengthen US-Jordanian strategic partnership and means to advance political, economic and security cooperation between the two sides. Both leaders will also be consulting and coordinating stands on regional developments, especially the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and efforts exerted by US Secretary of State John Kerry in this regard, along with developments in Syria and the wider Middle East. The top level meeting will be held in shadow of complex Middle East issues, namely the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian question and other thorny matters. Jordan is giving host to thousands of Syrians who have fled violence at home.