Jordanian King Abdullah II met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday, where the two leaders praised each other’s efforts in the fight against ISIS and discussed the upcoming Syrian ceasefire.
Obama acknowledged the “enormous challenges” faced by Jordan but referred to the country as an “outstanding partner” in a remarks to the press following a bilateral meeting with the King.
“Jordan is a country that punches above its weight when it comes to the fight against ISIL,” Obama said, calling the nation one of the United States’ most “stalwart allies in the world.”
Abdullah echoed those sentiments and also seemed optimistic about the ceasefire in Syria, stressing the importance of the political process.
Jordan is one of the U.S.’s closest Arab allies in the fight against ISIS. In February 2015, ISIS burned a captive Jordanian pilot to death. The Middle Eastern nation immediately hit back with fighter jets carrying out airstrikes against ISIS.
The two leaders also discussed the refugee crisis and how to advance prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Obama and Abdullah have met often in the past to discuss issues like counterterrorism and the war on ISIS, and U.S. officials consistently say Jordan remains a top U.S. ally in the region.
Abdullah and Obama last met briefly in January in an unscheduled meeting at Joint Base Andrews before both leaders boarded separate flights.