His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore on Friday to reaffirm the deep-rooted strategic relationship between the two countries and strengthen cooperation in various fields, especially the economic field. emphasized the need.
During the meeting held at the Istana Palace, Crown Prince Al Hussein emphasized the importance of cooperation agreements between the two countries, some of which were exchanged during His Royal Highness’ visit.
The Crown Prince expressed his appreciation for Singaporean institutions’ cooperation with Jordan in knowledge exchange in administrative reform, education, and technical and vocational training.
His Highness referred to the Singapore government’s relief and humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip, and emphasized that Jordan continues to strive for peace and security in the region, which is in line with a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He emphasized that this cannot be achieved without
Singapore’s Prime Minister praised the humanitarian efforts led by Jordan since the start of the war in Gaza.
His Royal Highness attended an official luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister to pay his respects to the Prime Minister and to celebrate his delegation, which was also attended by senior Singaporean government officials.
In his lunch address, His Royal Highness expressed his gratitude to the Singapore Government for the warm welcome and hospitality during his first official visit to Singapore.
His Highness noted that both Jordan and Singapore are working towards the upliftment and prosperity of their people, and expressed pride in the growing strategic relationship between the two countries over the past decades.
The Crown Prince said the visit came at a difficult and painful time for the region.
His Royal Highness said: “The heartbreaking scenes in Gaza, the massive loss of innocent life, the indescribable daily suffering, the deliberate destruction of culture, heritage and places of worship as well as critical infrastructure. , refers to the dreams and hopes of an entire generation being shattered.”
“The bloodshed must stop. The suffering must end. Internally displaced persons must return. Rights that have been taken away must be restored,” the Crown Prince said.
His Royal Highness continued: “These critical times require collective action and concerted action towards the common good. . We desperately need voices of wisdom and empathy to outweigh the voices of division and apathy.”
The Crown Prince highlighted Jordan’s efforts, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, to keep the Palestinian issue an international priority.
His Royal Highness referred to King Abdullah’s keynote speech at the International Conference on Inclusive Societies held in Singapore five years ago, in which he said, “The core crisis in our region is the long-standing denial of the Palestinian state. “The survival of the Palestinian state,” he said. The Israeli conflict fuels global discord and radicalism. ”
The Crown Prince reiterated that a two-state solution is the only solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and stressed that Jordan will continue to make every effort to achieve regional peace and security with its allies and friendly countries. .
His Royal Highness thanked the Government of Singapore for voting in favor of the United Nations General Assembly resolution proposed by Jordan to end the war in Gaza and impose an immediate and sustainable ceasefire.
Turning to bilateral relations, the Crown Prince said he was pleased to witness new opportunities for synergies and cooperation between Jordan and Singapore, and said that Jordan will strengthen knowledge exchange with Singapore and learn from its experiences. I reaffirmed my enthusiasm for this.
At the official luncheon, the Prime Minister praised the deep-rooted partnership between the two countries, noting that when Singapore gained independence in 1965, Jordan was one of the four co-sponsors of Singapore’s application to join the United Nations.
“Singapore and Jordan signed a free trade agreement in 2005, which was Singapore’s first agreement with a country in the Middle East,” he added.
The Prime Minister expressed Singapore’s keenness to expand its partnership with Jordan, highlighting the people-to-people ties and close cooperation between the two countries in higher education and vocational training.
He referred to previous visits and exchanges between the two countries, noting that the King recently visited Singapore in 2019, where he delivered a keynote speech at the International Conference on Inclusive Societies.
The Prime Minister said, “His Majesty spoke about the importance of interreligious dialogue as an important element in building a cohesive society,” adding, “Given the multi-racial and multi-ethnic society that requires harmony and society, His Majesty His words resonated deeply with Singaporeans,” he added. Unity is part of the nation’s fundamental values. ”
Addressing the crown prince, the crown prince said, “His Royal Highness’s visit has strengthened cooperation in several new areas,” including youth development, environmental management, vocational and technical training, and civil service training. He noted that several agreements had been signed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmad Khanandeh, Minister of Planning Zeina Tukan, Jordanian Ambassador to Singapore Sameer Nabel, and Crown Prince Zaid Baqain, Head of the Crown Prince’s Chamber, attended the meeting and lunch.