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7 Apr, 2011 11:53

Peace trumps all during King of Jordan’s meeting with Medvedev

Peace trumps all during King of Jordan’s meeting with Medvedev

President Dmitry Medvedev and his guest, King Abdullah II of Jordan, focused much of their meeting on Thursday to the current plight of the Middle East and North Africa.

Medvedev remained confident that a return to normalcy will be achieved in Northern Africa and the Middle East as long as the opposing sides commit themselves to peaceful dialogue with the help of national and international assistance."This year started very hard and even dramatically for a host of countries,” Medvedev said at a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Gorki outside Moscow on Thursday. “But we are hopeful that stabilization will be accomplished…through peaceful mediation and the employment of the UN's and other international institutions' resources.” The Russian leader, recalling his visit to Jordan in January, directed the conversation to the wave of protests in the region, specifically in Libya, the North African nation where an armed struggle between anti-government rebels and loyalists to the Muammar Gaddafi regime has entered its seventh week."Not very much time has seemingly passed since then,” Medvedev said, as quoted by Interfax, “but a lot of events have happened, which attracts the attention of many countries, while producing quite a lot of difficulties in Northern Africa and in the Arab world.”Acknowledging that Russia and Jordan are "very good partners," Medvedev invited King Abdullah II "to compare notes and exchange opinions on the current situation in the Middle Eastern region, on the Middle East peace process and its prospects."Medvedev then stressed that it was Russia’s intent to ensure that all international resolutions aimed at securing peace in the global hotspots are fully carried out."I'll tell you frankly that our country is interested in implementing all international resolutions, that is, the UN Security Council resolutions aimed at settling the situation both in Libya and in the Middle Eastern arena," he said.In response, the King of Jordan applauded Russia’s active role in working for peace in the region. "We understand how much significance Russia attaches to the peaceful reforms that are being started in our region and to prospects of bilateral economic cooperation," he said.Stressing the importance of capitalizing on “Russia's prestige in the settlement of the situation in the Middle East," the king of Jordan said he would like to exchange opinions with the Russian president "on challenges we are facing in our part of the world."Even Jordan has experienced its share of turbulence in the wake of the regional disruptions, but those pockets of protests were nipped in the bud after King Abdullah II swore in a new government and promised new reforms in March.Meanwhile, Jordan will also do all it can "to make Israel and Palestine sit at the negotiating table and to improve the situation in the Middle Eastern region," he said.Thursday’s meeting Dmitry Medvedev and King Abdullah II marks the continuation of Moscow’s efforts for bringing peace back to the region through diplomatic measures. Recently, the Russian president has held meetings with a number of leaders of the Middle East countries, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the head of the Palestinian National Administration, Mahmoud Abbas.Even before the wave of protests hit the Middle East and North African nations, Dmitry Medvedev and Abdullah II were maintaining regular contacts, and since 2008 King Abdullah II has paid three visits to Russia. Meanwhile, the Russian President paid a working visit to Jordan in January.Robert Bridge, RT

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