President Serzh Sargsyan meets King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman

President Serzh Sargsyan today arrived in Jordan on an official visit at the invitation of King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
President Serzh Sargsyan and King Abdullah II of Jordan held a private meeting at the Royal Palace.

President Serzh Sargsyan thanked for the warm hospitality extended to the Armenian delegation during its visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The Armenian President and the Jordanian King touched upon prospects of developing relations between the two countries and enlarging mutually beneficial cooperation in a sincere and friendly atmosphere. The interlocutors committed themselves to conducting political dialogue and elevating cooperation in various spheres to a qualitatively new level. At the meeting the parties touched upon deepening economic cooperation, using its full potential and reaffirmed that the two countries’ relationship is based on goodwill, mutual respect and mutual trust, as well as on the historical relationship of the two peoples.

Following the private conversation of President Serzh Sargsyan and King Abdullah II, a signing ceremony of documents aimed at enhancing and strengthening Armenian-Jordanian cooperation in a number of spheres took place with the participation of the two countries’ official delegations. Particularly, the Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement for Elimination of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic Passports between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Healthcare and Medical Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Economic Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
The Agricultural Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Sister City Agreement between the Republic of Armenia’s Yerevan City and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s Amman City, the Cooperation Agreement between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Armenia, the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan Chamber of Industry, the Agreement on Establishment of the Armenian-Jordan Business Council between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Armenia, the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Jordan Chamber of Industry and the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding between the Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the Republic of Armenia), the Amman Chamber of Commerce and the Amman Chamber of Industry (the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) were concluded.
King Abdullah II of Jordan hosted a working dinner in honor of President Serzh Sargsyan having arrived in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on an official visit.
According to protocol, the Armenian President and the Jordanian King exchanged toasts, touched upon the Armenian-Jordanian friendship and the two friendly peoples’ historical connections, the present level of interstate relations and their development prospects.

On behalf of all Jordanians and on his own behalf, King Abdullah II of Jordan welcomed the visit of the Armenian President and his delegation to Jordan. He underscored that Jordan is proud of its unique relationship with Armenia. According to the Jordanian King, the two countries and friendly peoples have been bound by very close ties. In that context, he mentioned his father’s and grandfather’s warm attitude toward Armenians and the assistance rendered to the Armenian people. The King stressed that nothing symbolizes the Armenian-Jordanian friendship better than the opening of an Armenian church on the bank of the Jordan River tomorrow. The Jordanian King noted that President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit opens up a new chapter in Armenian-Jordanian bilateral relations and expressed the hope that his visit will further strengthen interstate relations and friendship between the two peoples.

President Serzh Sargsyan underlined once again that the friendship of the Armenian and the Arab peoples dated back centuries which had especially been manifested during the tragic period of the Armenian Genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire. The President expressed his gratitude to the Arab people who had been among the first to give shelter to a considerable part of Armenians escaped from the genocide, becoming one of our greatest friends in the times of misfortune. In that regard, the President stressed the role of the leader of the Arab Revolt Emir Hussein bin Ali whose name has been immortalized in our history and read Hussein bin Ali’s message to his sons, Emir Faisal and Emir Abdullah, in which he says: “Do your best to support the Armenian refugees, protect them the way you would protect yourselves, your children and property.” According to the Armenian President, that message spread, saving the lives of thousand Armenians.

Serzh Sargsyan presented one more episode of the Armenian and Arab friendship when the father of Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein, learning about the devastating earthquake of 1988 from His Majesty, rapidly sent aid to Armenia. President Serzh Sargsyan underlined that those moments today give the parties confidence to strengthen interstate relations.

In his speech the RA President attached great importance to philanthropy, religious tolerance and solidarity which, according to him, are universal values. In that respect, the President quoted the words of King Hussein I of Jordan of blessed memory: “Regardless of all cases and figures who have threatened or have even tried to hinder it, the Christian-Islamic symbiosis and tolerance have managed to survive . . . That cultural crossing has greatly stimulated mankind’s progress in the spheres of philosophy, literature, science and arts and has played a major role later in the Emergence of Renaissance.

The Armenian President and the Jordanian King also exchanged views on international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and the South Caucasus. They expressed their concern over extremism and all its manifestations and attached great value to combining the efforts of all parties concerned to respond to those challenges.

During his visit, the Armenian President also held meetings with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdallah Ensour, the President of the Senate Abdelraouf al-Rawabdeh and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Atef Tarawneh.