President Obama Meets With King Abdullah II of Jordan

On 14 February, President Obama met with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the Sunnylands Estate in Rancho Mirage, California. The purpose of the visit was in part to congratulate Jordan on obtaining a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and to discuss Jordan's domestic issues as they pertain to neighboring Syria and an influx of Syrian refugees. President Obama also commended Jordan on its ability to adhere to IMF requirements by passing reforms. To help cement the relationship between Jordan and the United States, President Obama announced that the U.S. would be giving a $1 billion loan guarantee to Jordan to enable the country to tap into international capital markets and to extend the memorandum of understanding between the two states for an additional five years. This memorandum of understanding will aid Jordan in its development efforts, which will hopefully spread throughout the Middle East.

Both President Obama and King Abdullah II take the same stance on the crisis in Syria, agreeing that what is needed in Syria is the imposition on the current regime to improve humanitarian access. One of the King's main concerns "is the rise of extremism in Syria, the sectarian violence and…the spillover in the region and the effect that will have." It was suggested that a possible U.N. resolution pressuring the Syrian regime would "create a legal precedent for cross-border operations." This would go along with the shared idea of a "moderate opposition movement" that would avoid physical violence.

Both leaders have also been unimpressed by the way Russia has been conducting its efforts in the Syrian civil war. American officials argue that Russia "can't have it both ways. They can't say they're in favor of negotiations in Geneva and a transitional government guided by full executive authority and humanitarian access and have a happy Olympics, and then be part and parcel of supporting this regime as it kills people in the most brutal way." Both sides are doubtful that Russia will contribute to the humanitarian effort based on its UN veto record on sanctions. There is already tension between the United States and Russia, as Russia has been blocking sanction efforts against Syria while the U.S. has been pushing Bashar al-Assad to step down.   

From a Public Diplomacy standpoint, Jordan's alliance with the U.S. will definitely influence how its neighbors will view its diplomatic and foreign policy plans. A strengthened relationship will either hurt Jordan, as other Middle Eastern countries may not trust that Jordan is a loyal Muslim country, or it will help Jordan by increasing its influence in the global arena. As Jordan now has a seat on the Security Council, it can be more influential in foreign politics and spread its foreign policies and influence by directly interacting with the other countries sitting on the Council, as well as having increased pull with other UN members. It will take some time before the effects of this relationship will be seen.

Full Article: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/15/politics/obama-abdullah-meeting/index.html?iref=allsearch

Video of the Meeting: http://royalcorrespondent.com/2014/02/15/his-majesty-king-abdullah-ii-of-jordan-meets-with-president-barack-obama-video-2/