The Secretary-General met today with His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan, together with the Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank.  The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation to Jordan for hosting Syrian refugees, and applauded the increased support by the international community to the countries most impacted by the Syrian crisis, as reflected in the February London Conference.

The Secretary-General expressed hopes that the new joint financial initiative by the United Nations and the World Bank would generate further support to Jordan in turning the current challenges into development opportunities.

The Secretary-General and His Excellency King Abdullah II further discussed the Middle East Peace Process, stressing the importance of a return to negotiations for a two-State solution. The Secretary-General thanked Jordan for its important role as custodian of the Jerusalem holy sites. The two also discussed the situation in Syria and the security threats posed by extremist elements in these countries.