Amman, July 2 (Petra) — Senate President Faisal Al-Fayez called for
expanding Jordanian-French economic and investment partnerships and
increasing trade and cooperation across various sectors during
official talks in Paris on Thursday.

Al-Fayez urged French investors and business leaders to capitalize on
investment opportunities available in Jordan, particularly in
tourism, renewable energy, advanced technology, food security, water,
and public transport. He said Jordan offers security, stability, and
an attractive investment environment.

The remarks were made during talks with French Senate President
Gérard Larcher as part of an official visit to France at Larcher’s
invitation. The meeting was attended by Al-Fayez’s accompanying
delegation and Jordan’s ambassador to France, Lina Al-Hadid,
according to a Senate statement.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and
enhancing coordination to address the consequences of conflicts in
the Middle East, particularly the Iran-U.S.-Israel war and Israel’s
continuing aggressive and expansionist policies.

Al-Fayez praised the depth of Jordanian-French relations, saying they
are based on mutual respect and serve the common interests of both
countries. He described France as a key partner for Jordan in efforts
to achieve peace in the region and said His Majesty King Abdullah II
and French President Emmanuel Macron are committed to strengthening
bilateral ties and advancing political solutions to regional
conflicts.

He called for France to assume a greater role within the European
Union in promoting joint investments with Jordan to help the kingdom
address economic challenges stemming from developments in the Middle
East.

Supporting Jordan is in the interest of all parties, Al-Fayez said,
describing the kingdom as a cornerstone of stability in the Middle
East and warning that any threat to its security and stability would
have wider regional repercussions.

On regional developments, Al-Fayez said Jordan hopes a final
agreement will be reached to end the Iran-U.S.-Israel war but
stressed that the kingdom will not allow its territory to become a
battleground for any party and strongly rejects Iranian attacks on
Jordanian territory and the Gulf states.

He said His Majesty King Abdullah II has called on the international
community to end the conflict and work toward a comprehensive and
lasting de-escalation that would pave the way for peace, adding that
Jordan advocates resolving disputes in accordance with international
legitimacy and international law.

Al-Fayez reiterated Jordan’s rejection of Israel’s continued
aggressive and expansionist policies and called on the international
community to compel Israel to implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement
and end its military operations in Syria and Lebanon.

He also reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection of any solution to the
Palestinian issue that undermines its national principles or
threatens its security and stability, as well as its opposition to
the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Al-Fayez praised France’s support for Arab causes and its backing of
King’s efforts to promote peace in the Middle East and resolve the
Palestinian issue on the basis of a two-state solution.

He also welcomed France’s support for the Hashemite Custodianship
over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, its opposition to
attacks by Israeli settlers on those sites, and its support for
preserving the city’s historical and legal status quo.

Al-Fayez urged the European Union to adopt stronger measures to
encourage Israel to accept a two-state solution, including economic
sanctions, saying action against individual Israeli ministers such as
Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir alone is insufficient.

He expressed appreciation for French economic assistance to Jordan
and called for continued French support for the kingdom’s development
and reform programs. He also urged the European Union to increase
assistance through investment projects across various sectors and
stronger economic partnerships with Jordan’s private sector.

For his part, Larcher praised His Majesty King Abdullah’s role in
supporting international efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East
and achieve peace.

He described Jordanian-French relations as strategic and based on
mutual trust and respect.

Larcher said the French Senate would strengthen bilateral ties and
remove obstacles hindering further cooperation in all fields. He also
pledged to support Jordan’s tourism sector by emphasizing that Jordan
remains an attractive tourist destination because of its security and
stability despite the regional conflicts and economic challenges it
faces.

He said Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah,
has avoided becoming drawn into regional conflicts while preserving
its security.

Larcher reaffirmed France’s commitment to the two-state solution, its
support for the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian
holy sites in Jerusalem, and its opposition to attacks by Israeli
settlers and any changes to the city’s legal and historical status.

He added that the French Senate, through the French-Jordanian
Parliamentary Friendship Committee, would continue to strengthen
cooperation between the two countries, including parliamentary
relations.

As part of the official visit, Al-Fayez and the accompanying
delegation also met with the chairman and members of the French
Senate’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces.

The meeting reaffirmed the strategic nature of Jordanian-French
relations and the importance of expanding cooperation in the
political, economic and security fields.

Al-Fayez praised the role of French companies, financial institutions
and the French Development Agency in supporting Jordan’s development
priorities, particularly in water, infrastructure, energy, climate
adaptation and economic modernization.

The meeting also addressed developments in the Middle East. Al-Fayez
said the region continues to face the repercussions of the
Iran-U.S.-Israel war alongside Israel’s military operations in the
occupied West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

He added that Iran’s regional ambitions are no less dangerous than
Israel’s aggressive and expansionist policies.

Al-Fayez reviewed King’s efforts to promote security and stability in
the region, noting the King’s call for an end to the Iran-U.S.-Israel
war and for the international community to work toward a
comprehensive and sustainable de-escalation to restore stability and
achieve peace.

He stressed the importance of continued Jordanian-French cooperation
to create the political conditions necessary to end the Israeli
occupation and ensure Israel implements all provisions of the Gaza
ceasefire agreement welcomed by France and the international
community.

Al-Fayez also praised France’s support for Jordan in addressing
regional security challenges, combating terrorism and extremism, and
countering cross-border drug smuggling.

He commended France’s clear opposition to regional escalation and its
commitment to Jordan’s security, stability and sovereignty, saying
France recognizes Jordan as a key regional and international pillar
of stability and a force for moderation in a conflict-ridden region
despite the economic challenges it faces.

Al-Fayez reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to continued coordination
with France to strengthen bilateral relations, establish additional
economic partnerships, expand cooperation and pursue political
solutions to conflicts across the Middle East.

On the sidelines of the visit, the Senate delegation toured the Paris
Fire Brigade headquarters, where they met the deputy commander and
senior officers and received a briefing on the brigade’s operations.

The deputy commander expressed appreciation for the visit and offered
to share French expertise with Jordan in the field of firefighting as
part of the strong bilateral relationship.

The delegation also met officials from Campus France, the French
government agency affiliated with the Ministry for Europe and Foreign
Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research that
promotes French higher education internationally and assists
international students wishing to study in France.

The delegation received a briefing on the services and facilities
provided to international students and emphasized the importance of
increasing the number of Jordanian students studying in France while
expanding technical cooperation, training and professional exchanges
to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Senate.

According to the Senate statement, the delegation is scheduled to
visit the Arab Media Institute in Paris on Friday, where it will meet
with the institute’s director and senior officials.

//Petra// AF