United States Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for breakfast at her residence, and both discussed a wide range of issues, including COVID-19 and other challenges in the Middle East.
“The Vice President expressed appreciation for the enduring strategic partnership between the two countries,” Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson Symone Sanders said in a statement. “The two leaders consulted on the challenges facing both countries related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the need for swift economic recovery.
Sanders said “the Vice President commended Jordan for the recent successful review of its International Monetary Fund program and urged continued progress on structural economic reforms, including increasing participation of women and youth in the labor force.”
“They also discussed the importance of urgently addressing Jordan’s water shortages through infrastructure upgrades and other reforms. The two leaders consulted on the many challenges confronting the Middle East, including the continuing tensions in the West Bank and Gaza, the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, and the importance of supporting stability, security and prosperity in Iraq,” Sanders added
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.