Prince El Hassan meets delegations from French Senate, US Congress
HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal on Wednesday holds separate meetings with a delegation from the French Senate's Communication, Thinking, Monitoring and Solidarity Group with the Christians of the East (Petra photo)
AMMAN — HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal on Wednesday held separate meetings with a delegation from the French Senate's Communication, Thinking, Monitoring and Solidarity Group with the Christians of the East and with a US Congressional aides delegation.
During the meeting with the French delegation, Prince El Hassan stressed the importance of fostering dialogue across the region, advocating for respect toward the diverse identities of minority communities and recognising their vital role in shaping a shared and inclusive regional future, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
He underscored the necessity of human solidarity among Eastern communities as a foundation for preserving dignity and countering the forces of polarisation and hatred.
The Prince also reviewed the efforts of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies in promoting dialogue among followers of different religions, underlining its contributions to building bridges of understanding and coexistence.
During the discussion with the US delegation, Prince El Hassan emphasised the importance of cultivating a 'will to stay' among the peoples of the region by expanding economic, developmental and humanitarian opportunities that empower communities to remain in their homelands.
He warned against the deepening threat of sectarianism and called for the strategic use of the Great Rift Valley as a platform for regional cooperation, development and the advancement of human dignity.
Highlighting the need for pragmatic, evidence-based strategies, Prince El Hassan also called for a comprehensive approach to development that places human dignity at the core of all policies and initiatives.
Also on Wednesday, Senate President Faisal Fayez met with the US Congressional aides delegation to discuss Jordanian-US ties and regional developments.
Fayez reiterated the strength of Jordan-US relations and highlighted Jordan's comprehensive reform programme across political, economic and administrative spheres. He also outlined the Kingdom's economic and security challenges amid ongoing regional instability.
Fayez also expressed appreciation for US assistance in helping Jordan address these challenges, but urged the US administration to reconsider recently imposed tariffs on Jordanian exports.
He also called for the reversal of a decision to halt funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), particularly in critical sectors such as health, education, and the empowerment of women and youth, to support Jordan's development efforts and promote regional peace and stability.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Roya News
6 hours ago
- Roya News
Iran threatens 'more devastating' response to 'Israeli' attacks
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Saturday of a "more devastating" retaliation should 'Israel's' nine-day bombing campaign continue, saying the Islamic republic would not halt its nuclear programme "under any circumstances". 'Israel' said on Saturday it had killed three more Iranian commanders in its unprecedented offensive, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed Tehran's alleged progress towards a nuclear weapon had been set back by two years. "We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat," Saar told the German newspaper Bild, asserting 'Israel' would keep up its onslaught. 'Israel' and Iran have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since 'Israel' launched its aerial campaign on June 13, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. On Saturday, 'Israel' said it had attacked Iran's Isfahan nuclear site for a second time, with the UN nuclear watchdog reporting that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop had been hit. Iran denies seeking an atomic bomb, and on Saturday Pezeshkian said its right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme "cannot be taken away... by threats or war". In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian said Iran was "ready to discuss and cooperate to build confidence in the field of peaceful nuclear activities". "However, we do not agree to reduce nuclear activities to zero under any circumstances," he added, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency. Referring to the 'Israeli' attacks, he said: "Our response to the continued aggression of the Zionist regime will be more devastating." Iran's armed forces threatened to strike shipments of military aid to 'Israel' from any country. 'Israel's' main arms supplier is the United States, whose President Donald Trump warned on Friday that Tehran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes as Washington weighed whether to join Israel's campaign. 'Not prepared to negotiate' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Istanbul on Saturday for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the conflict. Top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met Araghchi in Geneva on Friday and urged him to resume nuclear talks with the United States that had been derailed by the war. But Araghchi told NBC News that "we're not prepared to negotiate with them (the Americans) anymore, as long as the aggression continues". Trump, dismissive of European diplomatic efforts, said he was unlikely to ask 'Israel' to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table. "If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said of Israel's campaign. Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo. US B-2 stealth bombers capable of carrying bunker busters were flying across the Pacific Ocean, according to tracking data and media reports, fuelling speculation over their intended mission.
Roya News
a day ago
- Roya News
European powers urge Iran to pursue diplomacy amid 'Israeli' bombardment
European powers on Friday urged Iran to continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over its nuclear programme, as 'Israel' maintains its military strikes on the Islamic Republic. 'The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that Iran is ready to discuss these questions further,' said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking alongside his British, French, and EU counterparts after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized the importance of continued dialogue: 'We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States.' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added, 'There can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem.' For his part, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi expressed readiness to support the 'continuation' of nuclear talks with European nations, but signaled that diplomatic progress would depend on a halt in aggression, saying Iran is prepared to "consider" diplomacy 'once the aggression is stopped.'
Roya News
a day ago
- Roya News
Iran rejects nuclear talks with US before 'Israeli aggression' stops
Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until 'Israel' halts its attacks, as 'Israel's' military chief warned the week-old war will be "prolonged". A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as 'Israel' kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. "We must be ready for a prolonged campaign," military chief Eyal Zamir told 'Israelis' in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. "The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead," he said. As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war between the two foes, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. Referring to nuclear negotiations with Washington that had been derailed by the war, Araghchi said after the meeting that "Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped". Tehran did "support the continuation of discussion with" the European countries and was willing "to meet again in the near future", Araghchi told reporters. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for". Barrot said there "can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem" and warned that it was "dangerous to want to impose a regime change" in Iran, after 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 450 missiles Since 'Israel' launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which 'Israeli' authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the 'Israeli' port of Haifa reported 19 injured, including one person in serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. More than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones, according to 'Israel's' National Public Diplomacy Directorate. Iran said on Sunday that 'Israeli' strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since. A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, provided a toll on Friday based on sources and media reports, saying at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. 'Israel's' military said it struck missile launchers in southwestern Iran after overnight air raids on dozens of targets including a nuclear research centre. In 'Israel', sirens sounded in the afternoon after missiles were launched from Iran for the second time on Friday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases. Trump said on Thursday he will decide "within the next two weeks" whether to involve the United States in the fighting. A US Navy official said Friday that an aircraft carrier will be moved closer to the Middle East next week, making it the third in or near the region. 'Madness' "This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don't see regional escalation of this conflict," said Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who earlier stated "Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon". Western governments suspect Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that while Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent, there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead. "So, saying how long it would take for them, it would be pure speculation because we do not know whether there was somebody... secretly pursuing these activities," the agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN. "We haven't seen that and we have to say it." In an interview with German publication Bild, 'Israel's' top diplomat Gideon Saar said he did not "particularly" believe in diplomacy with Iran. "All diplomatic efforts so far have failed," said Saar, whose country had supported Trump's 2018 decision to abandon a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the escalating confrontation is quickly reaching "the point of no return", saying "this madness must end as soon as possible". UN chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile pleaded with all sides to "give peace a chance". Any US involvement in 'Israel's' campaign would be expected to involve the bombing of an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo, using powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses. Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.
