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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Jordan is oriented toward democracy, openness, public freedoms, free press and applying moderate Islam, thus providing a fertile ground for business and foreign investment in the Kingdom.

At a meeting with Swiss Federal Council member and head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga, and an accompanying delegation, he said Jordan is a leading country in the Arab world when it comes to health, education and medical tourism.

The meeting, attended by justice minister Bassam Talhouni, also tackled developments in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis and the situation in Iraq.

Ensour said Jordan is currently hosting 1.4 million Syrians and thanked Switzerland for its solidarity with the Kingdom as it bore a heavy burden as a result of receiving waves of migrations. He said the international community had not fulfilled its responsibility to support the Kingdom which is suffering from water shortages and scarcities and is facing other economic challenges. He said the Palestinian cause is the core of all Middle East problems and crises, and urged Switzerland to assume its role to push forward the peace efforts.

The prime minister also said Iraq and Syria lie in the heart of the Middle East and developments in the two countries would have repercussions on Jordan and other neighbouring countries.

Talhouni reviewed the moves taken towards consolidating the judiciary's independence from the executive authority, stressing that the government is working to raise awareness of human rights and noting that "a reasonable" ratio of judges are women.

Also, during the meeting, a member of the delegation announced that the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation would offer aid in the areas of housing and construction of schools to serve Syrian refugees.

*Petra