(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))
BRUSSELS, May 5 (KUNA) -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan at NATO headquarters and discussed ways to further strengthen NATO-Jordan relations and regional security developments, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Jordan is a very close and important partner of NATO. Our forces have served together side by side in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, over Libya, and Jordanian troops also participate in the NATO Response Force," Stoltenberg said in press statement ahead of the meeting.
"Allies have also decided to step up and deliver some more personal protective equipment, and also some ventilators to further step up the support for Jordan in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
"We appreciate the cooperation with Jordan for many reasons, but not least because you have always been a source for stability in the region, and we look forward to continuing to further deepen our partnership," said the NATO chief.
Stoltenberg also underlined the importance of the joint work of NATO Allies and Jordan in the global fight against international terrorism.
"Itآ's extremely important that Jordan and NATO Allies have been working side by side in the efforts to fight global terrorism. We have made enormous progress in the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh, and we welcome the fact that we are further strengthening our cooperation also in the global fight against international terrorism," added Stoltenberg.
On his part, King Abdullah said "I truly appreciate, on behalf of Jordan and our armed forces, a special relationship as you have mentioned between NATO and our country."
"The wonderful support that you give us, whether it's protecting our borders and with the challenges of COVID again, this is something that has been very appreciated by all Jordanians," he said.
"As we look at the challenges of 2021 into the next couple of years, again, we have challenges in our region and further afield, and I can guarantee you that Jordanians will again shoulder the responsibility, shoulder to shoulder with NATO on many of the challenges that we have. And I look forward to being able to discuss these issues with you in great detail," he added.
Earlier today, the Jordanian king met separately the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Michel in a twitter message said EU-Jordan relations are "excellent" and noted that they exchanged views on fight against COVID-19 and key developments in the region.
"Weآ'll strengthen our cooperation to fight against terrorism and extremism and promote stability in the region," he said.
On her part, von der Leyen tweeted that the EU remains dedicated to a strong partnership with Jordan, and enhanced cooperation to tackle the impact of COVID-19.
"We support the commitment to reforms and want to contribute to the long-term prosperity and stability of Jordan," she said. (end)
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