Shoura chief holds talks with Jordanian monarch

King Abdallah of Jordan on Monday received Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah A. Al-Asheikh, who is on a four-day official tour in Amman. According to a statement released in Riyadh by the Shoura Council on Monday, during the meeting Al-Asheikh conveyed the greetings and good wishes of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to the Jordanian king. King Abdullah II expressed great delight and pride in his strong ties with King Abdullah and the excellent relations maintained between the two countries. The Jordanian king stressed his keenness on forging closer cooperation with the Kingdom on matters of mutual interest and on regional and Islamic issues. The king also took the opportunity to highlight the opportunities available to enhance Jordanian-Saudi parliamentary and legislative cooperation, as well as the exchange of expertise. During the audience, the king also reviewed the current situation in the region as well as latest developments in a number of Arab countries. In his remarks, Al-Asheikh thanked the Jordanian king for the support and assistance rendered by him to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. The Shoura chairman said that there is scope for further improvement in the field of parliamentary relations between the two countries. The Shoura delegation headed by Al-Asheikh arrived in Amman on Sunday on an invitation from the Chairman of Jordan’s Senate Tahir Masri. The visit was to strengthen parliamentary relations between the two countries. During Al-Asheikh's discussions with Masri on Monday, the latter thanked Saudi Arabia and its leadership for Saudi aid to Jordan that contributed toward enhancing the stability of the Jordanian economy and implement developmental projects. The senate president reviewed efforts exerted by Jordan under the leadership of his country's king to enhance democracy. Al-Asheikh stressed the keenness of the Shoura Council on enhancing bilateral relations with Jordan in various fields. He also extended an invitation to the senate president to visit Saudi Arabia to take part in the G-20 Summit which will be held in the Kingdom next month. “The visit is an extension of the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Jordan founded by the late King Abdulaziz,” Al-Asheikh said prior to his departure to Jordan. The two countries enjoy excellent relations under the great leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and King Abdullah II of Jordan, he added. The Shoura chairman said the two countries hold identical views on all regional and international issues and recent developments in the Arab world. He added frequent dialogue between the two countries would further strengthen understanding and unity between the two nations. He pointed out such frequent bilateral discussions will not only make relations stronger but also contribute to the welfare, security and stability of the Arab region.