NATO's Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood, Javier Colomina, travelled to Jordan, on 6 November 2024. This was his first visit to the country in his new capacity. He met with high-level officials, including the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, the Political Advisor to the King and the Director of General Intelligence. He welcomed the growing strategic partnership between NATO and Jordan and discussed issues of mutual interest, including regional security challenges.
"Jordan is one of the strongest NATO partners and a key player in the region and beyond," said Mr Colomina. "I was pleased to receive in-depth views by my counterparts on regional developments and welcomed the tireless diplomacy efforts by His Majesty King Abdallah II bin al-Hussein to prevent further escalation of the war in the Middle East," he added. He also underlined the continued work to strengthen international and regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism including by exploring further synergies between NATO activities and the approach through the "Aqaba Process" launched by His Majesty King Abdallah II al-Hussein in 2015. The Special Representative assured his interlocutors that assistance on border security through the NATO Defence Capacity Building package remains a priority, emphasizing "it is important to respond to the security needs of our partners".
Mr. Colomina also discussed the final preparations for the establishment of a NATO Liaison Office in Amman which is a pivotal element of an Action Plan approved by Allied leaders at the NATO Summit in Washington D.C., this past July, for a stronger, more strategic and result-oriented NATO approach towards our southern neighbourhood. He pointed out that this new office is "a key priority for Allies", explaining that it will mark the next significant milestone in the NATO-Jordan strategic partnership, further strengthen political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and Jordan, and contribute to enhance NATO's presence and visibility in the southern neighbourhood.
