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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Gulf good will for Jordan's new king
By Lola KeilaniKing Abdullah's Gulf tour is believed to be a sign that Jordan's relations with Arab countries are on the right track, following a long period of isolation.
Before visiting the United Arab Emirates, the king stressed that the visits, which included Saudi Arabia and Oman, were intended merely to restore friendly relations and not to receive financial assistance, as was the case in previous years. "We understand the current financial circumstances [in the Gulf] and that's why we did not ask for assistance or financial grants, but look forward to close economic cooperation that ensures the interests of both sides, such as opening the door to Jordanian workers and opening markets to Jordanian industrial and agricultural products," said King Abdullah. The Jordanian monarch is being accompanied by a top-level delegation including Prime Minister Abdel Raouf Rawabdeh and members of the royal family.
Following the king's meeting with UAE President, Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the Emirates pledged to help boost Jordan's flagging economy and re-admit Jordanian workers who had lost their jobs following Jordan's support for Iraq after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Amman's relations with the Gulf countries reached their lowest ebb in the early 90s and the return of the expatriates took its toll on the already strained economy.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah reiterated to Saudi officials that the Gulf tour should not be viewed as a move to join an alliance against Iraq. He said that an improvement in ties with one Arab country would not be at the expense of another. "Jordan will not be drawn into any kind of military or political intervention in Iraq," the king told reporters. He added that "Jordan will not serve as a springboard for any military or hostile actions against Iraq. We have no ambition to play a regional role in Iraq or in any other country."
The king's talks with Saudi officials focused also on the latest developments in the Middle East peace process, particularly the future of the Lebanese and Syrian tracks.
After Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia halted oil deliveries to Jordan along with its $200 million worth of financial aid a year. However, in the past two years relations between the two countries have started to normalise. Last December, King Abdullah, who had not by then been appointed crown prince, visited Saudi Arabia, where he met with King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah. In February, a high-level Jordanian delegation went to Riyadh to discuss Saudi aid for the Jordanian economy, in particular for infrastructure development.
The king is also expected to visit Syria but there has been no confirmation of the date for this visit. Damascus announced earlier that it is ready to consider rapprochement with Amman. Political analysts say the scheduled visit to Damascus is a continuation of an unexpected process that began during Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad's attendance at King Hussein's funeral and the visit to Jordan last month by Al-Assad's son Bashir. The decision to visit Damascus comes at a time of considerable speculation by analysts as to Assad's potential influence on King Abdullah who lacks political experience.
King Abdullah's visits to Cairo, Riyadh, UAE and Oman are viewed in Amman as an attempt by the monarch to send the right signals to many Jordanians and Arabs who have criticised Jordan's close ties with Israel.
