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LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan is on a European tour to Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia to enhance the country’s economic, trade, and investment ties with the EU, while also opening new avenues for cooperation, the president of Eurocham said.

Ali Murad, the head of the European Chamber of Commerce in Jordan, said that King Abdullah’s meetings with European leaders will enhance Jordan’s role as a reliable regional partner and attract European investments in key sectors like technology, renewable energy, industry, and tourism.

Murad underscored the European market as vital for Jordan’s economy, emphasizing the need to enhance exports and expand access through new partnerships and tariff measures.

He told Petra news agency on Wednesday that King Abdullah’s meetings aim to promote regional stability and development through economic and diplomatic cooperation between Jordan and Europe.

Eurocham collaborates with Jordan’s public and private sectors to identify investment opportunities in green projects and innovative infrastructure, Petra added.

On Tuesday, the king and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Rome to stress the importance of implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, urging all parties, including Israel and Hamas, to work together until the US-brokered deal is fully completed.

King Abdullah also emphasized the importance of efforts to preserve Christian religious sites in Jordan during a separate meeting on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, accompanied by Queen Rania.

DAMASCUS: Syrian interim president Ahmed Al-Sharaa will ask Russia to hand over former ruler Bashar Assad during his first visit to Moscow on Wednesday, a government official said.

The official, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP “Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all individuals who committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar Assad,” the longtime ruler who was toppled in December and sought refuge in Moscow.

Syria’s state news agency SANA said Sharaa arrived in Russia on Wednesday for “an official visit to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international developments of common interest.”

Putin will discuss the fate of Russian military bases in Syria with Sharaa during talks in Moscow later on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

Russia has two main military bases in Syria – the Hmeimim air base in Latakia province, and a naval facility at Tartous on the coast.