King Abdullah of Jordan speaks to Members of the Lords and MPs
16 November 2011 (updated on 16 November 2011)
On 15 November, the Lord Speaker welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan to the House of Lords and chaired a seminar in which King Abdullah addressed members of both Houses of Parliament.
The seminar was an opportunity for MPs and Members of the Lords to learn more about recent developments in Jordan and also discuss wider issues relating to Middle East politics.
The UK Parliament has strong relations with Jordan - the former Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, visited the Jordanian Senate in 2008 - and Baroness D’Souza was asked to facilitate this event as part of a wider programme while King Abdullah is in the UK.
The Lord Speaker commented:
‘I was delighted and honoured to welcome His Majesty to Westminster and bring together a number of parliamentarians with particular experience of the region.
'The political and economic developments in the Middle East are often the subject of debate in the House of Lords and I hope this event will be of benefit in further informing our debates in the future.’
Further information
As part of her role, the Lord Speaker acts as an ambassador for the House in the UK and abroad, explaining the work of the House of Lords and its contribution to Parliament. The Lord Speaker also represents the House of Lords on ceremonial occasions.