US House Speaker Pelosi holds talks in Jordan with King Abdullah
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior members of Congress have held talks in Jordan with King Abdullah II and top Jordanian officials.
Pelosi said in a statement that Saturday's visit was at "a critical time for the security and stability of the region".
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"With the deepening crisis in Syria after Turkey's incursion, our delegation has engaged in vital discussions about the impact to regional stability, increased flow of refugees, and the dangerous opening that has been provided to ISIS, Iran and Russia," she added, referring to the Islamic State group.
The US delegation included the heads of key House committees including Foreign Affairs committee chairman Eliot Engel, Homeland Security Committee chairman Bennie Thompson, Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff and Representative Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.
The delegation also met Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and other senior Jordanian officials.
Trump criticism
In the summer, hundreds of Jordanians held protests near the US embassy in Amman, denouncing the Trump administration's "deal of the century" for Israel and Palestine.
Regarding the plan, King Abdullah has said that any negotiations should be based on a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
"We expressed our continued appreciation for the strategic partnership between the US and Jordan and engaged in a constructive dialogue on regional stability, counter-terrorism, security cooperation, Middle East peace, economic development and other shared challenges," Pelosi said.
Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called an agreement between the US and Turkey on a pause in Ankara's offensive in northeastern Syria a "sham".
The agreement "seriously undermines the credibility of America's foreign policy and sends a dangerous message to our allies and adversaries alike that our word cannot be trusted," Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "has given up nothing, and President Trump has given him everything."
Congress' top Democrats said the House of Representatives would vote on a bipartisan sanctions package against Turkey in the coming days.
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