U.S. President Joe Biden called Jordan’s King Abdullah a “good, loyal, decent friend” during a meeting Monday at the White House, the first of three face-to-face talks he will have in the coming weeks with Middle Eastern leaders.
Biden described the king as a strong ally in a “tough neighborhood,” in a show of support for the Jordanian leader after an April challenge to his rule from his half brother.
“You’ve always been there, and we will always be there for Jordan,” Biden said during an Oval Office appearance with Abdullah and his son, the Crown Prince Hussein.
For his part, Abdullah said, “You can always count on me, my country and many of our colleagues in the region.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the two leaders would have an opportunity in private talks to “discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.”
She called Jordan “a key security partner and ally of the United States.”
Monday’s meetings were also expected to include discussion of the situation in Syria, where a decade of conflict has pushed more than 1 million Syrians into Jordan, as well as the situation in Jordan’s neighbor Iraq, where U.S. forces have been the target of attacks by Iran-backed militias.
Other expected topics included efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal, dormant Israel-Palestinian peace talks and the Trump-era Abraham Accords that saw Israel normalize relations with four Arab states.
Abdullah’s in-person visit with Biden is the first by a Middle East leader since the U.S. president took office in January. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is scheduled to visit the White House next week, and the Biden administration is planning a visit for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Last week, a Jordanian security court sentenced two former officials to 15 years in prison for allegedly conspiring with the king’s half brother Prince Hamzah to instigate unrest against the monarch while seeking foreign assistance.
The former officials were arrested in April, and Hamzah was placed under house arrest, though he was never charged. All three denied the accusations against them.
Source: Voice of America