Tánaiste Micheál Martin visit to Jordan
News
07 September 2023
Tánaiste Micheál Martin meeting His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan
Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin visited Jordan as part of a three day visit to the region.
His Majesty King Abdullah met with the Tánaiste at Bayt Al Urdun Palace.
King Abdullah commended the deep-rooted friendship between Jordan and Ireland, expressing keenness on enhancing relations in various fields, including tourism, education, and healthcare, according to a Royal Court statement. Discussions also addressed expanding bilateral ties and the Tánaiste highlighted educational links and initiatives.
Earlier in the day, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and the delegation met with counterpart Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. A memorandum of understanding was signed to enhance political consultations and to further enhanced the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
"We have tasked our officials now to take that forward and to create a roadmap on areas where we can have a structured dialogue politically, but also develop cooperation and joint shared projects in a range of areas." the Tánaiste said at the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.
The day concluded with a visit to Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) where he met with a group of young Jordanian entrepreneurs who travelled to Ireland earlier that month as part of an entrepreneurial exchange programme that is managed by HTU’s incubator, The Core. Finally, the Tánaiste had the opportunity to meet a selection of the impressive finalists in the Jordan Young Scientist competition and brief ceremony was held in which the top winners received a cash prize in addition to traveling to Dublin to take part in the Young Scientist exhibition in Ireland.
Speaking in advance of the visit, the Tánaiste said:
"I am looking forward to my first visit to Jordan as Tánaiste. Our Embassy opened four years ago and we have seen really positive progress in our relations with Jordan, including Ireland’s support for the Jordan Young Scientist Programme and other innovation initiatives.
Jordan hosts a significant number of refugees from Syria, the occupied Palestinian territory, and elsewhere. I will meet with Syrian refugees and UN partners to reiterate Ireland’s continuing support.”