King Abdullah II of Jordan briefs RUSI

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan visited RUSI on Friday 15 June and led an off-the-record briefing on the latest developments in the Middle East. This was followed by a free-flowing private discussion with a number of British parliamentarians, officials, RUSI staff and other invited guests on issues of common interest.

15/06/12 - In a wide ranging briefing to RUSI, His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan offered his assessment of the tumultuous developments in the Middle East.

On Syria, the King affirmed Jordan's support for the Arab League-UN envoy Kofi Annan's mission to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis and stop the bloodshed in the neighbouring country. The King underlined the importance of unifying Arab and international efforts to end the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people, noting that Jordan has hosted more than 120, 000 Syrian refugees since the start of the crisis in Syria.

Speaking on Jordan's own reform of its constitution and democracy, His Majesty noted "We are leading a pioneering and institutional reform process that makes Jordan a regional model in light of political changes in the Middle East."

King Abdullah also discussed means to find a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.

The King stressed the importance of the international community's efforts to bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table to discuss all final status issues, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty asserted that Jordan will continue its efforts with all regional and international parties to support the Palestinians to restore their legitimate rights and establish their independent state on the basis of the two-state solution, international terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative. King Abdullah stressed that the latest regional developments should not shift focus away from the key issue, which is the Palestinian cause, noting the exploratory meetings held in Amman between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to create a suitable environment to revive peace negotiations and discuss all final status issues.