AMMAN — Jordan and the US have “built a strong foundation together” US Chargé d'Affaires Karen Sasahara said during the US embassy’s Independence Day celebration in Amman on Tuesday. 

 

During the celebration, Sasahara highlighted the anniversary of 70 years of Jordan-US diplomatic relations, acknowledging that sometimes the two countries disagree, but “we watch out for each other”.

 

“Since 1949, our countries have built a strong foundation together and we deeply appreciate Jordan’s leadership,” Sasahara said, adding that, under His Majesty King Abdullah, Jordan has worked “in advancing peace and moderation in an often turbulent region”.

 

The US official also noted that celebration marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, and that His Majesty the late King Hussein was “one of the first people to ever speak to an orbiting spacecraft by amateur radio in 1983, when he spoke to astronaut Owen Garriott as the space shuttle Columbia flew over Amman”.

 

Since 2014, more than a dozen Jordanian students have gone on to take part in NASA’s internship programme at the Ames Research Centre in Silicon Valley through a partnership with the Crown Prince Foundation, according to a statement on the embassy’s website, which added that this was NASA’s first partnership with an Arab country.  

 

“I have appreciated the very warm welcome I have received since my arrival as chargé d’affaires in March.  Jordanians are famous for their hospitality, and I can see why.   I encourage Americans and my friends and family to visit Jordan and see for themselves the warmth and generosity of this country,” Sasahara said. 

 

“Our bilateral relationship is a long friendship; it’s rich, complex and occasionally complicated.  We agree on most things, disagree on some, but we watch out for each other.  So we look forward to the next 70 years.”

 

The celebration included performances from Jordanian band Pinewood Rift, as well as the Jordanian and US national anthems.