The 43rd U.S.-Jordan Joint Military Commission (JMC) meetings, chaired by the Jordanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Huneiti and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, began in Amman Monday, and lasted over a three-day period, with the aim to enhance the two armies’ cooperation.

Delivering a speech during the opening meeting: Huneiti said: “The Joint Military Commission became, over the years, a cornerstone of our military cooperation, and reflects our deep-rooted joint defense cooperation and our firm desire to continue and develop this collaboration to serve our interests and goals of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Petra news agency reported.

Huneiti also stressed Jordan’s “vital and key” role in security and stability to maintain the region’s peace, adding that over the past years, the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF)- the Arab Army remained “firm” in facing a complex matrix of threats, and combating organized smuggling and infiltration operations on Jordan’s borders.

For their part, the American side valued the joint meetings, which affirmed the “deep-rooted” bilateral relations, adding that talks seek to develop the two armies’ various capabilities by agreeing on all activities that would be implemented jointly in diverse fields of military action, especially the security assistance and military cooperation areas.

In their meeting on Monday, Huneiti discussed with U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, and the accompanying delegation, aspects of joint military cooperation and coordination in various military, operational, training and logistical fields, aimed to achieve the desired goals to serve the two countries’ armed forces.

Huneiti and the U.S. delegation, in the presence of a number of senior JAF officers, were briefed on joint military cooperation areas in the next stage, in line with the nature of the region’s developments at various levels.

On Tuesday, US Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander for International Security Affairs, said Jordan is a key and strategic partner in the region.

“We see Jordan as a key and strategic partner in the region, and the US defense relations with it are based on cooperation that dates back for many years, and that the annual joint drills are the best example of that and they are one of the reasons for my visit to Jordan,” Wallander said in an interview with the JRTV.

Wallander said that “enhancing military capabilities in joint exercises, maneuvers and operations contributes to strengthening our joint security and Jordan’s pivotal role in regional security.”

When asked about the Kingdom’s role in a crisis-hit region, she said that the United States is proud to work with Jordan, its strategic partner. She added that her country is fully aware of the urgent security and regional challenges Jordan is facing, such as securing borders and combating all forms of smuggling, in addition to the regional challenge posed by the ISIS terrorist gang and, recently, the disturbing activities by Iran which would undermine regional security.

“Therefore, our partnership with the Jordan Armed Forces must be enabled and enhanced across many fields, to be able to overcome the challenges facing the Kingdom, which ultimately constitute a security challenge for the American people,” Wallander added.

On the partnership with Jordan in the international efforts to combat terrorism, Wallander expressed appreciation to Jordan. “Jordan has always been and remains a strong partner. Jordanian cooperation is not only with our armed forces, but also with many countries, regionally and internationally. Jordan is a partner you can rely on, as it thinks in a way that enables it to move forward.”

Wallander added that the Jordanian-US relationship is based on mutual respect and trust between leaders and individuals on both sides and that joint and periodic military drills are based on specialized military educational programs.

“This means that we understand each other well and we will then be able to respond to the Syrian crisis and your internal challenges,” Wallander noted. She further lauded Jordan’s role in improving the lives of people in other countries.