Islamabad, Nov. 15 (Petra) His Majesty King Abdullah II met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday in Islamabad, where he emphasised the importance of expanding cooperation between the two countries in service of shared interests.

During a bilateral meeting followed by an expanded one, the King and the Pakistani prime minister affirmed their commitment to building on the deep-rooted Jordanian-Pakistani relations, which span 78 years, and strengthening joint action in fields including trade, economy, investment, tourism, education, technology, and defence.

His Majesty underscored the need to maintain coordination and cooperation at the bilateral level, as well as the international level alongside active and friendly nations, to intensify efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.

The King expressed condolences to the prime minister over the victims of the two terrorist attacks that targeted Pakistan last week, reiterating Jordan’s solidarity with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.

The meeting also addressed the situation in Gaza, with His Majesty stressing the imperative of all parties adhering to the ceasefire agreement in its entirety, and ensuring the flow of sufficient humanitarian aid.

During the meeting attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy the King noted the importance of Pakistan’s role within the UN Security Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, as well as its support for the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

His Majesty highlighted the necessity of halting unilateral measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly plans aimed at expanding settlements and annexing land, and warned of the escalation of attacks on Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Both Jordan and Pakistan reaffirmed, during the meeting, their rejection of any plans to displace Palestinians and their unwavering support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution.

For his part, Prime Minister Sharif expressed Pakistan’s commitment to continuing to expand cooperation with Jordan in various fields, underlining the importance of His Majesty’s visit in strengthening relations between the two countries.

His Majesty and the prime minister witnessed the exchange of a cooperation agreement between the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, and another between JRTC and the Pakistan Television Corporation.

They also witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding between the University of Jordan and Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training to establish a chair for Urdu language and Pakistani studies at the university, in addition to a cultural cooperation program.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Maen Khreasat attended the meeting.

//Petra// AF