Jordan PM returns home following Yemen visit

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour returned home on Thursday evening following an official visit to Yemen, during which he delivered a letter from His Majesty King Abdullah II to Yemeni President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi.In his letter, the King voiced pride in the strong and historical ties between Jordan and Yemen and stressed Jordan’s readiness to place its expertise in various fields at the disposal of Yemen.Earlier in the day, the premier co-chaired with his Yemeni Counterpart Mohammed Salem Basindawa the meetings of the Joint Jordanian-Yemeni Higher Committee. The two premiers said they were satisfied with the progress made in the bilateral ties, especially in the economic, political and trade fields.Ensour congratulated Yemen over the success of the National Dialogue. He also spoke about the challenges facing that Arab nation, stressing the need for solidarity amongst the Arab countries to face these. The premier also spoke about the challenges Jordan is facing as a result of regional developments and which had direct impact on the Kingdom and its economy.Jordan, he added, is currently hosting about 2 million Palestinian refugees, more than 600,000 Syrian refugees added to 750,000 Syrians who were in Jordan before the Syrian crisis, affirming that these waves of refugees had their economic, social and security ramifications.The Yemeni prime minister, on his part, welcomed the Jordanian delegation, expressing appreciation for Jordan’s support to Yemen in these critical conditions.In the presence of the two premiers, the two countries signed 18 agreements, protocols and executive programs in various domains.Ensour and Basindawa also signed the minutes of the meetings of the committee, which was attended by senior officials from both sides.