The President of the Government of Spain and the King of Jordan agree to enhance their bilateral relations and to work to establish a strategic partnership

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has held a meeting at Moncloa Palace with King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is currently on an official visit to Spain as part of the Aqaba Process meeting, which is being held in Cordoba and which he is co-chairing with King Felipe VI.

The meeting was very useful in addressing the Euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting that will take place in November under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, in which Jordan plays a major role, since it co-chairs the Union for the Mediterranean with the EU. In the joint declaration adopted today by Spain and Jordan, which reflects the two countries' intention to enhance their bilateral relations and to work towards establishing a strategic partnership, it was agreed to coordinate the efforts of the Jordanian Co-Presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean and the Spanish rotating Presidency of the EU to further enhance mutual relations.

Furthermore, in this declaration, Spain and Jordan have reaffirmed their commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in accordance with its internationally recognised borders, an issue that President Sánchez was able to address with King Abdullah II during their meeting, with both agreeing on the importance of continuing to work for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Spain and Jordan have also reiterated their commitment to the development of a stronger multilateral system and a rules-based international order to address global challenges.

Pedro Sánchez has taken an interest in the current situation in the Middle East, where Jordan plays a key stabilising role. The two countries reiterated the importance of the centrality of Euro-Mediterranean relations as a tool for shared prosperity and stability in the region. In this context, President Sánchez highlighted Jordan's decades-long efforts to address successive regional refugee crises.

The president had the opportunity to confirm Spain's participation in the 2023 Global Forum on Refugees, which Jordan currently co-chairs, as well as to reiterate its commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees. In this regard, both leaders agreed to continue their close cooperation and support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a strategic humanitarian partner for the two countries, to protect people forced to flee their homes while safeguarding their fundamental rights.

Following the meeting between the two leaders, President Sánchez and King Abdullah II attended the signing of two agreements: a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Justice of Spain and Jordan, and an agreement on the recognition of maritime navigation certificates.

Non official translation