Jordan denies that Israel asked to open consulate in Irbed

Jordanian Foreign Minister Abd al-Ilah al-Khatib has denied reports that his country had recently received a request from the Israeli embassy in Amman to open an Israeli consulate in the city of Irbed, in northern Jordan.

This was expressed in a statement from the Jordanian minister issued by the Jordanian daily al-Arab al-Youm, in reply to reports which spoke of submitting such a request.