The King began his visit to Jordan, in the midst of the escalation of war in the Middle East

The Diplomat His Majesty the King arrived in Amman yesterday afternoon to make a visit to Jordan, in the midst of the escalation of war in the Middle East, and to express Spanish support for the role of the monarch Abdala II in the region. Don Felipe wanted to maintain the trip to Jordan, which had been scheduled before Israel launched its attack against the pro-Iranian militias of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran responded by launching missiles into Israeli territory. However, on Wednesday, it was decided to shorten the stay of the King on Jordanian soil to just over 24 hours and that he would not travel accompanied by the Queen, for security reasons. The King arrived in Amman yesterday afternoon, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares. He was received at the airport by King Abdullah II and then held a meeting at the residence of the Spanish ambassador, Miguel de Lucas, with the Spanish community in Jordan. Before the Spaniards, Don Felipe, said that the conflict "which took a new and especially tragic turn, began a year ago with the brutal and unjustifiable terrorist attack in Israel, which has brought us images of unspeakable suffering and devastation in Gaza and which is worsening even more with its extension to Lebanon and the risks of even greater escalation, must end as soon as possible." Today, in the morning, he is scheduled to travel to the Baqaa refugee camp, the largest of the six Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and created in 1968 following the Six-Day War. According to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), it currently houses more than 90,000 people. Later, Felipe VI will be received at the Al Husseiniya Palace by Abdullah II, where both will hold a bilateral meeting followed by a working lunch that will end the visit. The King, according to diplomatic sources consulted by The Diplomat, will have the opportunity to express to the Hashemite monarch Spain's support for the stability of his country, especially at this time of tension in the region. Furthermore, the fact that Don Felipe wanted to maintain the trip underlines the close relations that the two Royal Houses maintain and the desire to increase "the deep historical, political, cultural and human ties that exist between Jordan and Spain," according to the same sources. Both monarchs met on June 20, 2023 at the Palacio de la Merced in Córdoba, during the meeting of the Aqaba Process dedicated to West Africa and the Sahel. In addition, Abdullah II visited Spain in December of last year and held separate meetings with the King and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.

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