Blanar Praises Opening of NATO's Liaison Office in Jordan

Brussels/Bratislava, December 4 (TASR-correspondent) - Slovakia welcomes the news that NATO will open its liaison office in Jordan, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) declared at a two-day summit of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on Wednesday. Wednesday's talks were coloured by the presence of King Abdullah II of Jordan, who took part in the discussion on ties between NATO and Southern Neighbourhood countries. "Jordan is an important partner for NATO in the Middle East. The king described the situation prevailing in the Middle East in great detail and with expertise. Unfortunately, the situation in the region is escalating, as was confirmed also by the king," said Blanar. The ministers touched on recent developments in Lebanon, where a 60-day truce is underway despite repeated violations and addressed the unrest in Syria, bedevilled by the latest round of violence between insurgents and the government forces. "The region is still unstable. That's why the king called for a solution in the form of an expeditious truce and peace talks. This should lead to a two-state solution, as it's still the only sustainable solution in the region," explained Blanar, alluding to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Blanar underlined that Slovakia has a significant interest in cooperation with Jordan and praised the fact that NATO is going to open its liaison office in Amman, as that will expand the mutual cooperation even more and help resolve existing crises. mf/mcs