Faisal El-Fayez has been president of the Jordanian senate since October 2015. The 65 senate members, of which 10 are women, are appointed by the Jordanian head of state, King Abdullah II, for a term of office of four years.
Ivo Bischofberger, President of the Council of States, received the delegation in Bern on 1 March. This official meeting also attended by the president of the Swiss-Middle East Parliamentary Group, National Council member Carlo Sommaruga (SP, GE), focused on bilateral relations and current challenges. Jordan is in a difficult situation owing to the many crises in the region. The country’s economic development is threatened by the loss of trading partners and the large numbers of refugees.
Following the official meeting with Mr Bischofberger, the members of the Jordanian delegation exchanged views withNational Council president Jürg Stahl,and other members of the chamber.
In talks with Ambassador Manuel Sager, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Mr El-Fayez thanked Switzerland for its active support in the country and the region. The SDC administers humanitarian aid in Jordan and its neighbouring countries, running projects protecting and providing support to people in need. The Jordanian delegation stressed, however, that Jordan is a bastion of security in the region and ensuring the country’s stability is vital for the global community. Jordan has been hard hit by the Syria crisis, with 1.3 million Syrian refugees currently on Jordanian soil. These and two million further refugees from the region, as the delegation explained, put huge pressure on Jordan’s infrastructure. The country needs the support of the world community in order to overcome these challenges.
Following talks in the Parliament Building, the delegation paid a visit to President Leuthard. Once again, the Jordanians described the volatile situation in the region and appealed to the sense of responsibility of the countries of Europe.
The meeting proved to be very interesting and informative for both parties. Good relations have existed between Switzerland and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for a long time, and several bilateral visits in recent years have drawn the two countries even closer together. There are many similarities between the two countries: both are relatively small, with few natural resources, and they have similar-sized populations with a large proportion of foreigners. The Jordanian delegation’s visit was rounded off with a visit to beverage manufacturer Henniez (Nestlé Waters). The mineral water producer showed its foreign guests how it works closely with local farmers to manage water sustainably, thereby protecting its sources.