His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan received on Monday France’s Chief of the Defense Staff General Fabien Mandon at Al Husseiniya Palace.

The meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, covered the strong relations between Jordan and France, and the commitment on both sides to enhancing cooperation in various fields, particularly military and defense. The latest developments in the region were also discussed.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Huneiti attended the meeting, Petra news agency reported.

Later, Major General Huneiti separately received the visiting French Chief of the Defence Staff at the General Command Headquarters.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed regional and international developments, as well as cooperation and coordination in joint military training, the exchange of expertise, military exercises and ways to strengthen relations.

The meeting was attended by the Commander of the French Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean, the French Military Attaché in Amman and a number of Senior Jordanian Armed Forces Officers.

In another development, during a surprise visit to the Jaber border crossing with Syria on Monday, the Interior Minister of Jordan Mazen Faraya checked on infrastructure development, including expansion of canopies and customs-bonded yards, and installing X-ray cargo and baggage inspection equipment.

The projects are expected to be finalized before the middle of the year.

The Minister saw first-hand the workflow at the crossing and services to travelers, as well as the movement of cargo between Jordan and Syria. He also met with travelers and drivers using the crossing.