Tokyo: King Abdullah II of Jordan and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met at a summit on Monday. The two leaders witnessed the signing of a grant agreement for 713 million yen (about $5.4 million) in aid from Japan to Jordan for its "Economic and Social Development Program."
Later, Kishida hosted a working dinner for the King and Queen Rania, who are currently on an official visit to Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan both signed the grant aid documents.
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According to the Japanese foreign ministry, the assistance will be used to provide equipment for facilities that will be constructed as part of the Aqaba Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project.
According to the ministry, Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, and its main water resource, groundwater, is quickly running out. The recent influx of about 1.3 million Syrian refugees has not helped the situation. Through strengthening the nation's water supply service system, the cooperation between Japan and Jordan is anticipated to help ensure a reliable water supply and the efficient and effective use of water resources.
The two leaders agreed to further broaden the scope of cooperation under the strategic partnership after discussing a variety of bilateral issues.
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According to Prime Minister Kishida, Japan acknowledges Jordan's efforts to modernise its economy and finances and will keep assisting Jordan in doing so through a variety of means, including loans for development policies and grants for the electricity, water, and other sectors. Additionally, he expressed Japan's desire to help Jordan with pressing issues like boosting foreign investment and lowering unemployment.
King Abdullah expressed his gratitude to Japan for continuing to support Jordan.
The two leaders also decided to promote collaboration in supply chains, as well as other areas like digital and advanced technology.
Regarding security, Kishida discussed the Fourth Japan-Jordan Politico-Military Dialogue that took place in December of last year and various exchanges between the two nations' armed forces while expressing Japan's desire to continue contributing to the world's peace and stability. The two leaders also applauded the decision to begin a bilateral dialogue framework on cybersecurity.
Regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Kishida made reference to his trip there in March of this year and emphasised the need for the international community to remain united in arguing that any forcible change of the status quo by one country unilaterally is unacceptable everywhere. There was no response from Jordan regarding that, according to the foreign ministry.
In addition, Kishida discussed the New Plan for a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)," which was unveiled in March of this year. He expressed his desire to keep stressing the significance of the FOIP vision.
The two leaders also spoke about Middle Eastern regional issues. In addition to acknowledging the efforts made in the five-party talks involving Jordan, Egypt, the United States, Israel, and Palestine, Kishida expressed his concern over the current hostilities between Israel and Palestine.
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Kishida added that Japan will play its part by promoting its own initiatives, such as the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity," and that the Hashemite Custodianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem and the role of Jordan are both crucial.
King Abdullah described Jordan's initiatives to stop the deterioration of the Palestinian situation and to find a political horizon for the restart of serious talks aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.