King Abdullah: We young Arab leaders are the generation of globalization, understand its challenges
Jordan, Politics, 1/31/2000

Jordanian King Abdullah II said his country is not thinking of a regional confederation, having it together with Syria, Lebanon and the future Palestinian state. He expressed his optimism over achieving peace between Syria and Israel within months. He said that the young leadership in the region is the "generation of globalization" and is able to understand its challenges.

Meeting with heads of international television networks and the press on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Jordanian king said, replying to a question asked by one journalist, that "There is no word in our dictionary called confederation. From now until achieving peace in the region, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, we will not think on this matter. After that it will be possible to think of a form of economic integration in the region. A sort of a mini-economic federation."

The Jordanian king called on the international community to stand behind the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat, President al-Assad and Lebanese President Emil Lahoud in order to back them in achieving peace.

Concerning the new leading generation in the Arab world, King Abdullah said, "We have a historical opportunity in the Middle East region to benefit from the new age." On the young leadership in the region, King Abdullah said: "We are the generation of globalization. We resemble each other. Most of us had completed their studies in the best Western universities. And because of that we are able to understand globalization and its challenges because we belong to it. And we were established after the collapse of the Soviet Union, on the global village."

In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Jordanian king, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, expressed optimism over reaching a peace agreement between Syria and Israel in this middle of this year.

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