King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan visited Pakistan on 8-9 February 2018. During his visit he met the President Mamnoon Hussain and the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. His delegation included Minister of Foreign & Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Mahmoud A Freihat and senior officials.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Defence Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan and Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also participated in the talks held between the two sides, said a press release.
King Abdullah II held delegation level talks with the Prime Minister during which the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on ways to further expand these relations in all areas of mutual interest. King Abdullah II thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome accorded to him and his delegation. Both sides agreed to focus on enhancing bilateral trade and investment relations in order to make the Pakistan-Jordan bilateral trade commensurate with the excellent political ties existing between Pakistan and Jordan.
The Prime Minister briefed the visiting dignitary on the current situation along the LoC, Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts and its commitment towards regional peace and stability.
During his meeting with the President, the President recalled the contributions of the late King Hussein Bin Talal in fostering close ties between Pakistan and Jordan, for which he is remembered with reverence by the people of Pakistan. He appreciated the leadership of King Abdullah II in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. King Abdullah II indicated his keen interest in strengthening economic ties with Pakistan stating that Jordanian businessmen would be visiting Pakistan soon to meet their Pakistani counterparts in this regard. He agreed with the President that both sides must enhance cooperation in education, culture, defence and through people to people contacts. In this regard, further discussions would take place during the Pakistan-Jordan Joint Ministerial Commission to be held in March this year.
Both sides reaffirmed that the legal status of Jerusalem based on Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and that the only legal solution is a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, the pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of the Palestinian State.
The agreement between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the field of civil protection and civil defence was signed by Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. The memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Housing and Works of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was signed by Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
King Abdullah II visited Pakistan after 11 years of his last visit in 2007. He was received by the President on arrival in Pakistan. He was seen off by the Prime Minister and given a ground display and aerial demonstration of JF-17 aircraft.
King Abdullah II's visit is a reflection of the close brotherly relations existing between Pakistan and Jordan. The visit provided an opportunity to further enhance a sustained cooperative partnership between Pakistan and Jordan.-PR