NEW YORK — His Majesty King Abdullah and Queen Rania have
just arrived in the United States for their three-week visit to the United
States, where King Abdullah is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden,
marking the first meeting between an Arab leader and the United States
President at the White House since President Biden took office in January.
اضافة اعلان
According to a Royal Court statement, King Abdullah will
kick off his visit by participating in the Sun Valley Economic Forum, which is
scheduled during the first week of July. There, key political, business, and
media leaders from the US and across the globe will convene to discuss global
political and economic challenges. His Majesty will then travel to Washington,
DC for a private visit with President Biden expected to take place in mid-July,
followed by meetings with administration officials and congressional leaders.
The visit is an important step toward repairing and
strengthening US-Jordan relations, a partnership that has suffered significant
blows in recent years. James Zogby, Founder and President of the Arab American
Institute, tells Jordan News: “Jordan is an important ally of the US, it’s
always been an important ally. And this trip is a reflection of that.”
In addition to the Palestinian question and other regional
security issues, King Abdullah will address the five-year Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) bilateral aid agreement in which the US committed to
providing over $6 billion that is set to expire next year. The US is Jordan’s
single largest provider of bilateral assistance and the Kingdom is the
third-largest recipient of US aid globally. Continued financial assistance will
be critical in helping Jordan build economic prosperity and stability.
A strong bilateral partnership between the US and Jordan
will be critical in addressing the stability of Jordan and the regional
security situation. Zogby draws attention to the wide range of difficult
challenges posed by Jordan’s unique geopolitical context, stating that “Jordan
is located in a difficult neighborhood – dealing with, issues from Iraq
refugees to housing Syrian refugees, to dealing with the Palestinian issue, and
the concerns that come from being sandwiched in on all sides.”
Jordan has maintained its place as one of the United States’
closest regional allies for decades, but the Trump administration’s Middle East
policy placed a significant strain on the relationship between the two
countries. President Trump’s approach to the region featured a central focus on
Saudi Arabia and Israel. Despite the warm history between the two countries and
Jordan’s reliance on financial assistance from the United States, His Majesty
openly expressed criticism against President Trump’s Middle East peace plan.
King Abdullah visited the United States only three times
during the Trump presidency, with his most recent visit taking place in June
2018, the longest period of time that leaders from the two countries have come
together since King Hussein and President George H.W. Bush’s conflict over
Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait more than 30 years ago.
In contrast to his predecessor, President Biden has
demonstrated greater interest in maintaining and strengthening strong ties
between the two countries in the first six months of his tenure.
President Biden made frequent visits to Jordan both as a US
senator and vice president, and King Abdullah was one of the first global
leaders to congratulate Joe Biden for his victory in the recent US presidential
election. The administration released numerous statements expressing US support
for Jordan and King Abdullah, including a recent phone call from President
Biden “to express strong US support for Jordan and underscore the importance of
King Abdullah II’s leadership to the United States and the region.”
The question of Palestine will likely be a key point of
discussion in King Abdullah and President Biden’s upcoming meeting. In the day
preceding his departure to the US, His Majesty gestured to his commitment to
defending the rights of Palestinians in international circles by holding talks
with Palestinian President Mahmoud in which he reaffirmed Jordan’s
long-standing support for the Palestinian people and the pursuit of a two-state
solution.
The United States has long been a key player and critical
influence in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Biden administration’s actions
and statements thus far indicate a clear divergence from President Trump’s
approach. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Amman to
meet with His Majesty in May, and his office released a statement saying:
“Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely, and to
enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy. The United States
will work to advance these goals in tangible ways in the immediate term and
looks forward to partnering with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in this
regard.”
However, the Biden administration has remained vague in its
approach to the Palestinian conflict. Despite verbal expressions of support for
a two-state solution, the Biden administration has yet to offer concrete
details to back up this stance. The Biden Administration has also distanced
itself from the Middle East in its global policy priorities, instead
foregrounding challenges from China and Russia at the center of its foreign
policy approach. The King-Biden meeting holds the potential to shed light on
President Biden’s true intentions for concrete US action on the issue.
Zogby sees the visit as a step in the right direction to
strengthening ties between the two countries. “The stability of Jordan is
important, not just for the United States, but for the region. The support for
Jordan is critical and welcome.”
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