July 4 marked the Independence Day of the United States; the advent of the Obama administration marked a departure from the policies of unilateralism and intervention, thereby paving way for reconciliation and accommodation.

President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo and Washington’s genuine desire for peace will take some time to convince the world, in general, and the Arab Islamic world, in particular, which has been rattled by the Bush era’s adventurism.

Jordan’s relations with the United States have been warm and friendly, owing to King Abdullah’s efforts to promote peaceful and friendly relations with countries that value Jordan as a peaceful country.

Although the United States and Jordan have never been linked by a formal treaty, they have cooperated on a number of regional and international issues over the years.

While preserving its national interests as well as the interests of the Arab world, Jordan has often supported American peace initiatives on Middle East. However, Jordan has also criticised some of the US moves which are detrimental to Jordan’s or Arab interests.

King Abdullah supported the convening of the US-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November 2007, and encouraged the United States to push for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Obama’s recent peace initiatives with regard to the Middle East have found warm support in Jordan, a country engaged in ambitious development programmes with the avowed objective of raising the living standard of the people despite the limited resources at its disposal.

In this regard, the foreign aid from friendly countries, particularly from the United States, has played a crucial role in the economic development of Jordan. Until 2008, the total US aid to Jordan amounted to approximately $10.23 billion. However, the levels of aid have fluctuated, increasing in response to threats faced by Jordan and decreasing during periods of political differences or worldwide curbs on aid funding.

In the last decade, annual US assistance to Jordan has more than quadrupled, from a total of $223 million in 1998 to an estimated $912 million in 2008.

Since 2003, Jordan’s total assistance package has averaged over $700 million per fiscal year.

Keeping in view Jordan’s scarce natural resources and its ambitious development plans, the present level of American aid needs to be augmented.

Jordan’s strategic location is vital for establishing lasting peace and stability in the region, and for that reason, a peaceful and stable Jordan is a sine qua non.

Obama’s Middle East peace initiatives require the close cooperation of Jordan in bringing them into fruition. The personal rapport which King Abdullah has managed to establish with the US president will go a long way to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East.