The Diplomat
King Felipe VI of Spain and King Abdullah II of Jordan agreed yesterday that the “two-state solution” is the only way to “contribute to a just and lasting peace” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Likewise, the Hashemite monarch and the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez pledged to work to “establish a strategic partnership” between the two countries.
The Hashemite sovereign yesterday made the first of his two days in Spain to participate in the meeting of the Aqaba Process – an initiative of the Jordanian monarch himself in favor of peace in the Middle East and against terrorism – which will take place today at the Palacio de la Merced in Cordoba.
In his first act in Madrid, Abdullah II had a meeting with King Felipe in the Royal Palace, accompanied by Prince Hashem of Jordan. The Spanish delegation consisted of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the Spanish Ambassador to Jordan, Miguel de Lucas; and the Director General for the Maghreb, Mediterranean and Middle East, Alberto Ucelay. On the Jordanian side were present the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, and the Jordanian Ambassador to Spain, Areej Mahmoud Saleh Hawamdeh, among others. Meanwhile, Queen Letizia and Queen Rania of Jordan visited the Workshop Schools and Employment Workshops that Patrimonio Nacional has in the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Subsequently, the Hashemite monarch was received at the Moncloa Palace by Pedro Sánchez, with whom he adopted a Joint Declaration “reflecting the mutual intention to enhance bilateral relations and to work towards establishing a strategic partnership” and in which both parties pledge to coordinate the efforts of the Jordanian co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Spanish rotating presidency of the EU to further enhance their relations, according to Moncloa. In the Declaration, Spain and Jordan also reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, reiterate their support for a stronger multilateral system and a rules-based international order, and stress the importance of the centrality of Euro-Mediterranean relations as a tool for shared prosperity and stability in the Middle East.
According to Moncloa, President Sánchez highlighted Jordan’s decades-long efforts to address successive regional refugee crises and confirmed Spain’s participation in the 2023 Global Forum on Refugees, currently co-chaired by Jordan. Following the meeting, Sanchez and Abdullah II attended the signing of two agreements: a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Justice of Spain and Jordan and an agreement on recognition of maritime navigation certificates.
Lunch at the Royal Palace
At noon, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia offered a lunch in honor of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince Hashem. The event took place at the Royal Palace in Madrid and coincided, in the words of the Spanish Monarch, with “a very emotional date, of great significance, for me and also for the Queen”, because “on this day like today, June 19, 2014, he took the oath provided for in our Constitution when he was proclaimed King before the Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament(“.
“The Kingdoms of Spain and Jordan are united by a very close friendship, and a reciprocal, deep and sincere understanding,” the King declared in his speech. Therefore, he said, “our governments have agreed today to move forward towards a strategic partnership between Spain and Jordan, based on our strong historical ties, close friendship and shared values of democracy and promotion of human rights.”
Likewise, Felipe VI paid a “sincere tribute to the constant efforts of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to contribute to a just and lasting solution” to the Middle East conflict, which “necessarily passes through the materialization of the two States, which we must preserve”, and assured that “Spain and Jordan must continue to work together to achieve the resolution of these conflicts based on international legality”. “The rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Spain will assume in a few days, will provide new opportunities to advance this agenda, as well as the EU-Jordan Partnership, which has our full support”, he added.
The King also highlighted “the extraordinary generosity” with which Jordan has “welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Syrian crisis, the same generosity with which Jordan has opened its doors in the past to Palestinians, Iraqis and so many other citizens fleeing the war,” and praised Abdullah’s leadership “in Arab efforts to move towards a solution to the Syrian crisis which, to be lasting, must necessarily be fair and within the framework set by the United Nations”. Felipe VI also stressed the importance of the Aqaba Process, which “constitutes, today, a fundamental pillar in the fight against terrorism that strikes our societies.” “Jordan is a key player in a regional balance of strategic importance for Spain and Europe,” said the King.
For his part, Abdullah II assured that the “shared commitment” of the two countries “to peace is clear through our support for the two-state solution as the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” “We will continue to work with Spain in this effort to find solutions to the crises facing the Euro-Mediterranean region, based on our shared belief in dialogue,” he assured.
Abdullah II described the talks with the King of Spain and the President of the Goverment as “constructive” and expressed his desire to promote a strategic partnership between the two countries that would allow “working more closely on issues of interest to our peoples and the world.” “We are very grateful for Spain’s role in supporting our development efforts, and we look forward to expanding cooperation in the sectors of education, tourism, cultural exchange, water and energy, as we are both working hard to build a more stable world for future generations,” he added.
The Hashemite sovereign also highlighted the work “side by side” that Spain and Jordan have done to organize the meeting of the Aqaba Process in Cordoba and expressed his desire to hold in the Andalusian city “fruitful talks with friends and partners on how to improve international coordination to combat terrorism and extremism”. Yesterday concluded at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, in Cordoba, where Felipe VI and Abdullah II presided over the welcome dinner on the occasion of the meeting of the Aqaba Process.
Today, Tuesday, the two Kings will attend, at the Palacio de la Merced in Cordoba, the meeting of the Aqaba Process, which will be dedicated to West Africa and Sahel. Among those attending will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares. The Aqaba Process is an initiative launched in 2015 by the King of Jordan to promote, through a series of international meetings, military and security cooperation, coordination and exchange of experience between regional and international partners to combat terrorism. Organized with a regional focus for each round, the meetings foster expert discussions on security challenges.
