Upon arrival in Canada

Jordan and Canada have a great deal in common, particularly with respect to the efforts being made to achieve peace, security, and stability in the world. I look forward to a wonderful visit with friends and colleagues. I hope that this visit, our first to Canada, will be a good step for the future relations between our two countries. His late Majesty had a very warm place in his heart for the people of Canada and for your wonderful nation.

I am pleased to be among my friends here today. There are so many values that we share. As you already know, we have worked very closely together in humanitarian issues all over the world. Recently, stood shoulder to shoulder in the Balkans, our peacekeeping forces alongside yours.

His late Majesty King Hussein always said that our most valuable asset in Jordan are our human resources. We are particularly proud of our friends in Canada and we proud of the new human security initiative that you have taken through the United Nations. I hope that our future will continue to prosper and that we in Jordan will always be standing shoulder to shoulder with our friends here in Canada.