William H. Frist: “for the past week, I have come to the Senate floor to briefly discuss my recent factfinding mission to the Middle East…”

“for the past week, I have come to the Senate floor to briefly discuss my recent factfinding mission to the Middle East, having had the opportunity to travel to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan 2 weeks ago. I will conclude these Mideast reports with a very brief discussion of my time in Jordan. We began the Jordan leg of our trip with a visit to King Abdullah. Son of the much admired King Hussein, King Abdullah has been a trusted and valuable friend to the United States and a steadfast partner in the war on terrorism. We discussed Jordan's progress toward economic reform. Jordan is embarking upon free market reforms and encouraging the growth of small business and entrepreneurs. We know in the American experience that entrepreneurship is that engine of economic and job growth. I am encouraged by the progress that King Abdullah is making, and I am hopeful the Jordanian economy flourishes. As it does so, it will become a model of reform throughout the Middle East. We also talked about the importance of the U.S.-Jordanian partnership in the peace process. King Abdullah's father exhibited great courage and foresight as he led his nation to peace with Israel in the 1990s. Because of Jordan's relations with Israel and its special ties to the Palestinians, Jordan can be a substantial contributor to the peace process. By coordinating our efforts, I believe Jordan and the United States can help the parties build momentum toward a peaceful resolution.…”