PM attends World Economic Forum in Davos, meets with political, economic, corporate leaders, 1st add

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh also met with Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of the Lebanese caretaker government, to discuss the need to intensify Arab and international efforts to stop Israel's aggression against Gaza and prevent the region's conflict circle from expanding. Khasawneh and Mikati reaffirmed the two countries' positions, emphasizing the importance of putting an end to Israel's aggression against Gaza, ensuring the long-term delivery of humanitarian aid to the brothers in Gaza, and rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land. The Prime Minister reiterated that Jordanian diplomacy, led by His Majesty the King, has always affirmed that peace and stability in the region will not be achieved except by establishing a political horizon that leads to the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and within the framework of the two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for the countries and peoples of the region. Khasawneh and Mikati lauded ties between the two countries, as well as their desire to strengthen them in a way that benefits both countries and their peoples. In reply, the Prime Minister of Lebanon's caretaker government expressed appreciation for His Majesty King Abdullah's positions on Arab affairs, particularly the Palestinian cause. Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva. The Prime Minister commended Jordan and the IMF's positive relationship, as well as its Executive Council's recent adoption of the new Fund-supported national economic reform program. The Prime Minister highlighted that the new national economic reform program intends to enhance the resilience of the national economy and encourage growth, with the goal of creating jobs. He stated that the program will take the same strategy as the last program, with no tax increases or new taxes, but will instead strive t o increase public financial collections by tackling tax evasion and avoidance. He emphasized that the program increases foreign institutions' and donors' confidence in the durability of the national economy, as well as its competitiveness and ability to meet the economic challenges imposed by the region's circumstances. Source: Jordan News Agency