[Lambeth Palace] Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby met with the Jordanian foreign minister His Excellency Nasser Judeh in Amman today (June 26) to discuss current tensions in the Middle East and opportunities for building peace between religions in the region.

Welby was accompanied by Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, whose diocese also includes the Kingdom of Jordan.

The archbishop is currently on a five-day visit to Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Topics covered in the meeting included political instability and conflict in the Middle East, and the needs of the various historic religious communities in the region.

The grave situation in Syria, and the huge numbers of Syrian refugees who have been taken in by Jordan, were also discussed.

The archbishop said: “It was a privilege to be so warmly received with such hospitality by the foreign minister. We had a very productive discussion about the political situation in the region, and especially about how we might cooperate to help foster peace, and secure the traditional fabric of the whole society in the region.

The Hashemite Court has a close relationship with the archbishop’s office, and His Majesty King Abdullah II visited Lambeth Palace last November.

Recognizing the traditional Hashemite responsibility for Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and the Holy Land and also the needs of international pilgrims from both communities, the archbishop asked the foreign minister to thank King Abdullah for his own and his father’s exemplary role, and to encourage His Majesty to continue this vital service to the common good of both religious communities locally and internationally.