Lapid meets with Jordan’s Abdullah in Amman for 1st time since becoming PM

Prime Minister Yair Lapid made his first trip to Jordan as premier to meet with King Abdullah, his office says.

The leaders discussed opportunities to expand bilateral ties on food security, agriculture, and transportation through the joint Israel-Jordan-UAE solar-desalinization deal signed last year, and joint tourism initiatives in the Gulf of Aqaba and Eilat, the Prime Minister’s Office says.

Lapid and Abdullah also discussed the recent visit of US President Joe Biden to the region and the opportunities it produced for expanded regional cooperation, Lapid’s office says.

In its statement, the Royal Hashemite Court says that during the meeting, Abdullah reaffirmed the need for a “just, comprehensive, lasting peace on basis of two-state solution.”

The Jordanian statement also emphasizes the need to “bolster regional security, stability, and development, which must include Palestinians.”

Notably, the Israeli readout makes no mention of the Palestinian issue, which is a top agenda item for Jordan but is often downplayed by the Israeli side.

Still, Lapid’s statement highlights the warm nature of the meeting and says the two leaders also enjoyed a joint lunch with their staffs.