King Abdullah, Spanish monarch review situation in occupied territories

Jordan Times ^ | 14 March 2002

[Thinkin' Gal]

King Abdullah, Spanish monarch review situation in occupied territories

His Majesty King Abdullah smiles while talking to Spain's King Juan Carlos
at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday (Photoby Paul White/AP)

MADRID (Agencies) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday left Spain for London after holding talks with King Juan Carlos on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The two leaders discussed “the role Europe can play to end the cycle of violence [in the occupied territories] and put the peace process back on track,” the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Spain currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

At the meeting, which included a luncheon attended by Queen Sofia, King Abdullah stressed the importance of intensifying European efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire, relaunching the peace talks and alleviating the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

The talks come one day after the King urged a more active US role in efforts to end violence in the occupied territories during a meeting in Amman with US Vice President Dick Cheney.

They also follow a call on Tuesday by Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher on the EU to redouble efforts to end the vicious cycle of violence.

Petra said King Abdullah and the Spanish monarch discussed bilateral relations and means of bolstering them.

Upon his arrival in Madrid earlier Wednesday on the start of his brief visit, King Abdullah was received at the airport by King Carlos who accompanied him to Zarzuela Palace, the king's official residence just outside the capital.

King Abdullah left for London straight after the three-hour talks, where he is to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday. The King's talks with Blair will focus on the situation in the Palestinian territories, Petra reported.

His Majesty will then go to the US where he is expected to address a business conference in Los Angeles and receive a prestigious award for global economic leadership.

The award comes in recognition of his efforts to harvest the talents of Jordanians, increase the country's productivity, and put the Kingdom on the map of international investment, an official told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

The King will then go on to Mexico to join around 40 world leaders, including US President George W. Bush, for the International Conference on Financing for Development, which comes as a follow-up to the New York Millennium Summit of September 2000.

The King and Bush are expected to meet on the sidelines of the UN-sponsored conference in Monterrey, which lasts from March 18 to 22.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Don't tell Hal Lindsey about this. He'll have a field day.

[Thinkin' Gal]

King Abdullah of Jordan , right, is greeted on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street. by the Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, in London Thursday March 14, 2002. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

[jonatron]

Like it's any of their business...

[Sir Gawain]

He needs to shave.

[Thinkin' Gal]

He needs to shave.

Son of God "dares to ask surprising questions"

He is one of the most famous people in history but no-one knows what he looked like - until now perhaps.

BBC unveils hi-tech Jesus

[JMS]

Now let's see, Spain ceased to be significant after the Spanish-American war and Jordan's Hashemite king is a minority in his own country. From my point of view their opinions are just about as important as a butt smoking, beret wearing Frenchman's sitting in a Parisian cafe.

[Sir Gawain]

He has a ways to go before he looks like that.

[jonatron]

Hey man, I'm a butt-smoking, coffee-loving, beret-wearing french-american!

[BenF]

King Abdullah stressed the importance of intensifying European efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire, relaunching the peace talks and alleviating the sufferings of the Palestinian people.

Interesting that the good King is totally unconcerned with alleviating the sufferings of the Israeli (read Jewish) people. "Peace" with Arabs/Muslims....right.

[Mercuria]

Abdullah and Juan Carlos?

Hey...I've heard things about these guys in the Son Of Perdition Sweepstakes. (Yup, welcome to that great new game show...WHO WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-CHRIST?

[Sir Gawain]

The game show is rigged.

[onedoug]

Spain has come a long way, socially, economically and internationally, since the death of Franco and the restoration of democracy endorsed by Juan Carlos himself.

Long plagued with ETA's Basque "homeland" seeking terrorists, Spain - and particularly under the center-right Partido Popular of Jose Maria Aznar - has been, and likely yet will be, a valued ally of the US in this larger struggle.

[Jeremiah Jr]

Abdullah and Juan Carlos?

Hey...I've heard things about these guys in the Son Of Perdition Sweepstakes. (Yup, welcome to that great new game show...WHO WANTS TO BE THE ANTI-CHRIST?

Hmmm?

The tie breaker is, Moshia ben David soooo let's look up David's record. Here it is, 2 Samuel 12:26-31.

[glorgau]

Did the anti-christ meet him far from Megiddo? :-)

[onedoug]

This guy thinks he never lived at all. Very challenging. Though even the truth of it would not alter my faith in Christ.

[JMS]

Ah, but the important part of your statement is American. Actually, the French are far more up front about what they think than the rest of our "allies". Unlike others you know where they stand. Their first priority is France and the promotion of the French culture rather than bending over backwards to be multicultural.

[JMS]

I agree with you that Spain has come a long way however their international significance is miniscule unless you're talking about arresting Pinochet. While they are an ally they have no ability to project power to help the US, much less do anything about the situation in the Middle East. They would be of far more help to the US in trying to influence South and Central America. Please don't take this as a criticism of Spain as a people or a culture but again, they don't live in the Middle East so they have no real stake in what goes on over there.

[onedoug]

"...in trying to influence South and Central America...."

This is really what I menat by internationally, as Spain is very heavily invested economically in Latin America, paricularly in financial services and telecom.

And Al-Andalus still echoes across the centuries in the Spanish consciousness.