Vol. 531 No. 1
63 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in the interest of maintaining good relations with Jordan, King Abdullah, who acceded to the throne following the death of his father in 1999, has been invited to visit Ireland. [5017/01]
Before his health had failed, the Government had invited the late King Hussein to visit Ireland. This invitation carries over to his successor in the normal manner.
During the two years since he ascended to the Jordanian throne, King Abdullah has committed himself to working for peace between Arabs and Israelis and has been very active meeting the regional leaders in this pursuit. We have assured him of Ireland's support and friendship as he pursues the search for peace in the Middle East. Last autumn, Ireland ratified the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between Jordan and the European Union.
The Government would, of course, be pleased to welcome King Abdullah to Ireland at a convenient time. It is my intention to visit the Middle East region later this year, and I hope to meet him at that time and renew our invitation to him to visit Ireland.
