Welcome visit

The two-day visit, which starts today, is all the more significant as it comes at a time the region witnesses many conflicts and the core, critical, crisis between Palestinians and Israelis is, again, in a logjam, despite attempts by the international community to bring it to a reasonable and fair resolution.

Moscow has been a major player in the Middle East affairs and its continued contribution to the ongoing efforts to bring peace and stability to the entire region cannot but be noticed and appreciated.

The talks between King Abdullah and the Russian president will cover a wide range of issues, including economic ties and investment possibilities for Russia in the Kingdom.

Relations between the two countries began almost half a century ago and have witnessed steady progress. They can be expected to continue growing.

More importantly, as it comes just ahead of a projected meeting of the Quartet of Middle East mediators, Medvedev’s visit to Jordan can be expected to prepare the groundwork for this new effort by Russia, the US, the EU and the UN to jump-start the stalled peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

Moscow can do much to promote peace in the region, and its role in this vein is paramount.

There is every hope that the outcome of the Russian president’s visit to Amman will both further our two countries’ ties and contribute to reviving talks between Palestinians and Israelis with a view to settling this vexing problem with wide ramifications.

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