Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) – Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour met on Monday with Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Frans Timmermans to discuss the issue of bilateral ties and ways to improve these across various domains as well as the Syrian crisis and its impact on Jordan.

Jordan, the prime minister said, has so far received more than a half a million Syrian refugees following the crisis and another half a million before the current crisis began. This was in addition to the other waves of refugees over the past years. Such an influx of refugees has put an additional burden on the country's already-scarce resources, Ensour said, adding that the aid granted to Jordan by the international community to cater to these refugees was not enough.

The PM also spoke about the reform process in Jordan, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II. Jordan, he said, was a pioneering country in the region when it came to reforms and democracy.

Further, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Nasser Judeh, who attended the meeting, affirmed that Jordan will throw its weight behind any political solution to the Syrian crisis to end the ongoing bloodshed in the neighbouring country.

The visiting minister said that his country realized the economic burdens that hosting such a large number of Syrian refugees exerted on Jordan, and called upon the international community to increase financial assistance to Jordan.

He also noted that there was potential to increase cooperation with Jordan in the fields of energy, renewable energy and water, and noted that the Netherlands enjoyed advanced expertise in these domains.

Also on Monday, Minister of External Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Nasser Judeh met with the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs FransTimmermans to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments, especially the efforts to revive peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The two also discussed the ongoing Syrian crisis.

Both sides stressed the need to bolster trade and investment ties and promote cooperation opportunities among businessmen of both countries, including holding joint meetings in The Hague and Amman, and promoting tourism between the two countries.

The meeting also touched upon the technical and technology-related programs between the two countries and such expertise as can be provided to Jordan through the Dutch cooperation programs in all fields, notably water and renewable energy sectors, as well as the European country’s role in supporting Jordan's talks with the European Union to facilitate movement and establish a free trade zone between the two sides.

The two sides also discussed efforts to revive the peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, along with the shuttle diplomacy undertaken by the US Secretary of State John Kerry which enjoyed the backing of EU, the Arab League and all other stake holders.

Judeh briefed his guest about Jordan's efforts, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II, to resume serious and effective negotiations in a time-bound manner between the Palestinians and the Israelis that will lead to the two-state solution through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the international references adopted for the peace process.

Referring to the Syrian crisis, Judeh stressed the need to find a political solution as soon as possible to end the bloodshed and preserve the security, safety and territorial integrity of the country through the participation of all Syrians.

He pointed out the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis for Jordan which now hosts more than 550,000 Syrians on its territory, and provides them with services. The heavy burden is being shouldered by the country despite its limited resources, Judeh noted, commending Holland’s and EU's support to Jordan to enable the country to continue to play its humane role.

For his part, Timmermans affirmed his country's support and appreciation for the efforts led by His Majesty King Abdullah II to achieve peace and stability in the region and his country's inclination to continue coordination and consultation with Amman on all issues of common interest.

He also praised Jordan's humanitarian role in hosting the Syrian refugees, providing them with services and shouldering a huge burden as a result and His Majesty's efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis.