Press Releases: Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi Before Their Meeting

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Remarks

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

January 18, 2018


SECRETARY TILLERSON: Afternoon, all. It’s a pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Safadi of Jordan with us back to the State Department. We’re going to have some really important, good exchanges on what’s going on in Middle East. Obviously, there’s a lot going on in the Middle East and in Syria as well. So we have many, many shared interests that we’re going to be talking about, and just pleased to welcome him yet again.

FOREIGN MINISTER SAFADI: Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Welcome.

FOREIGN MINISER SAFADI: Thank you, sir. It’s a pleasure to be here. And again, as the Secretary said, we’ve got a lot to discuss, and I look forward to what I know will be a very open and very frank discussion on the challenges that we face and on ways through which we can advance our solid partnership and work towards our common objective of peace and stability in the region. It’s a pleasure to be here, sir.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Thank you.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, are you concerned about a government shutdown?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: We’re ready if that’s what happens. We hope not. We hope not, but we’re ready.

QUESTION: What more does Turkey need to understand about what’s going on in Syria?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: I think Turkey is well aligned with the objectives that Jordan, ourselves, and the regional neighbors have, to really see an end to the conflict and stabilize Turkey, create a whole and unified sovereign – I’m sorry, sovereign Syria.

QUESTION: And as far as U.S. plans?

SECRETARY TILLERSON: We’ve been talking with Turkey as well. Thank you.