President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday said it was a great honour to have the King of Jordan in Cyprus.

King Abdullah arrived at the presidential palace on Friday evening amid tight security with some roads having been closed to facilitate his entourage.

Shortly after arriving at the palace, Anastasiades tweeted: “It is a great honour and privilege to welcome his Majesty @KingAbdullahII of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Cyprus.”

The president and the King of Jordan held a private meeting during which gifts were exchanged.

Later, Anastasiades bestowed upon the King of Jordan the highest honour of the Republic of Cyprus, the Grand Collar of the Order of Makarios III, and King Abdullah II bestowed upon the President the highest honour of Jordan, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Renaissance.

On the sidelines of the private meeting between the two leaders, bilateral agreements and a memorandum of understanding were signed by the two countries’ ministers.

The agreements concern the avoidance of double taxation, the extradition of fugitives from justice, and a memorandum οn development cooperation between the foreign ministries.

Anastasiades and King Abdullah held broad talks with their respective delegations during a dinner.

Among the issues discussed were bilateral relations, regional developments, Climate Change, efforts to combat covid-19.

The two leaders were discussing bilateral relations, the Cyprus problem, climate change and the president’s initiative on the development of a regional action plan to address the needs and challenges faced by Eastern Mediterranean countries, the efforts to tackle the impact of the pandemic and regional developments.

The King’s last visit to the island was in September 2016.