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A royal salute to India’s religious plurality
Context:
- Jordanian King Abdullah II will deliver a special address at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on Tuesday on his three-day visit to India.
More in news:
- Jordanian King will speak on “Islamic heritage: promoting understanding and moderation”, to an audience including academics, Islamic scholars and representatives of all denominations of the Muslim community.
- After talks with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the two sides are expected to announce a number of agreements, including one to set up a “centre of excellence” in Amman
- One pending issue not yet resolved is on the resumption of direct flights between Delhi and Amman, which were shut down when Royal Jordanian Airlines ended its service in 2014.
- King Abdullah will also visit the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi to “explore collaborations with Jordanian technical institutes”
- Bilateral trade, which is mainly dependent on fertilizer imports, dropped drastically from about $2.2 billion in 2014 to $1.3 billion in 2017, and both sides will discuss how to improve business ties.
- While the visit will focus on bilateral issues, the two leaders are expected to discuss the Palestinian peace process.
Jordanian King Abdullah II:
- Mr. Abdullah is himself a 41st generation descendant of Prophet Muhammad and the Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.
- He has taken a leadership role in countering extremism and radicalisation in the Arab world through what is known as the “Aqaba Process” initiative.
