Al-Ghanim: Jordan most suited on Syria evaluation

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim said that he had listened to the vision of King Abdullah II on regional events, expressing his view that Jordan's proximity to Syria made it what he believed was "most suited" on assessing the crisis. On the concluding day of his visit ahead of his departure to his next stop, Turkey, Al-Ghanim described Jordan as representing a "strategic depth" for Kuwait, its Gulf Cooperation Council fellow member states and the Arab world. "It is the closest and most suited to assessing affairs on the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Syria," he said. On behalf of Gulf nations, the Kuwaiti chief parliamentarian expressed appreciation for Jordan's role on its neighbouring country and the opening of its borders to Syrians displaced in the ongoing civil war. "This visit is to affirm the stance of the Kuwaiti people's representatives alongside Jordan in facing challenges that are negatively affecting the region, " he said. The results of his visit included preparations for a coordinated stance at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference, due in Geneva, in addition to several agreements of mutual benefit. On the role of Arab parliaments on the Syrian conflict, he said this should be illustrated in pushing their governments to provide assistance for Syrian neighbouring countries, in order for these nations to be able to cope with hosting the growing influx of refugees. For his part, Speaker of Jordan's House of Representatives Saad Srour, whom Al-Ghanim had earlier met, said that the visit's success came according to the "generous efforts" of Al-Ghanim, whom had served directions agreed by the wise leaderships of both countries, based on strong historical bonds. He reiterated his Kuwaiti counterpart's disclosure of the organisation of a joint IPU stance on Syria, adding that the two parliaments would also address "protecting Jerusalem from Israeli fundamentalist attacks." Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Al-Duaij described the visit as "successful" and as having "illustrated the strength of cooperation between the executive and legislative branches" of Kuwaiti politics, along with being a reflection of the aspirations of the two countries' leaders. In addition to King Abdullah II, Al-Ghanim's four-day visit saw him hold encounters with Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and upper and lower house chiefs Saad Srour and Taher Al-Masri.