Speaker and King hail 100 years of diplomatic relations between UK and Jordan
28 October 2021
The Speaker of the House of Commons has welcomed the King of Jordan – his first Royal visitor to Parliament.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle congratulated His Majesty King Abdullah II for 100 years since the founding of Jordan – and both men hailed a century of diplomatic ties between their two nations.
Jordan, which gained its independence from Britain in 1946, is one of the UK’s closest partners in the Middle East. The Jordanian flag flew proudly in Parliament’s New Palace Yard to welcome the Royal visitor.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit Jordan and Egypt next month – their first major overseas tour since the pandemic began.
During his meeting with Sir Lindsay in Speaker’s House, King Abdullah reiterated Jordan’s keenness on enhancing cooperation with the UK across all sectors, in addition to efforts to counter global challenges such as climate change and threats to food security.
The meeting also covered developments in Syria, Jordan’s hope to supply electricity to Lebanon, Covid and vaccinations.
Also in attendance were: Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; Jafar Hassan, the King’s Chief of Staff, and Manar Dabbas, Jordan’s Ambassador to the UK.