His Majesty King Abdullah II met with Japan Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on Thursday, and discussed ways to enhance defense and military cooperation between Jordan and Japan.
The meeting also covered the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, the dangerous escalations in the West Bank, as well as recent developments in Syria and Lebanon.
His Majesty stressed the importance of stepping up efforts to achieve a ceasefire and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to all areas of Gaza, commending Japan’s role in bolstering humanitarian efforts in the Strip.
For his part, Minister Nakatani expressed appreciation of Jordan’s important role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East,
Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hneiti, and Japan’s Ambassador to Jordan Asari Hideki attended the meeting, the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement.
For his part, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Jafar Hassan also received Japanese Defense Minister General Nakatani and his accompanying delegation at the Prime Ministry.
The meeting underscored the depth of the strategic partnership between Jordan and Japan and the shared commitment to advancing relations in various sectors to serve the interests of both countries and peoples.
Talks focused on strengthening cooperation in the defense sector, particularly in training programs and the exchange of expertise, Petra news agency reported.
Discussions also addressed regional developments, with Hassan stressing the urgent need to halt the war on Gaza, end the ongoing brutality and attacks in the West Bank, and contain the dangerous escalation in the region. He underlined the importance of ensuring the sustained delivery of relief and humanitarian assistance to the Strip amid the grave humanitarian crisis.
Lastly, Chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Huneiti, received the visiting Japanese Defense Minister (photo) and his accompanying delegation on Thursday.
Huneiti and the guest discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries’ Armed Forces, mainly in the areas of military training, expertise exchange and development of defense capabilities.
The two sides also tackled regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Huneiti and the visiting delegation were briefed on the key developments in the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF)-Arab Army in various defense and security fields.
They also listened to the JAF's humanitarian efforts exerted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as the latest regional developments and current security challenges.
In turn, the Japanese Defense Minister called for continuing the partnership with the JAF in various military fields, particularly joint training and expertise transfer.
Nakatani praised the “strong” bilateral relations and expressed his aspiration to achieve further cooperation to serve mutual interests.
In a related context, Huneiti and the visiting delegation attended a field military exercise at King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC).
The two sides were briefed on the drill conducted by the King Abdullah II Royal Special Forces, which featured combat operations in urban areas with the engagement helicopters from the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
According to a JAF statement, the troops demonstrated “remarkable and professional” efficacy in dealing with various field scenarios.
Japanese Ambassador, the Defense Attaché to the Kingdom, and a number of Senior JAF Officers attended the visit and exercise. (Royal Hashemite Court; Petra; Photo © Japanese Ministry of Defense)
