ESUJ Lecture (in English)

Jordan, My Country
Lecture by H.E. Samir Naouri Jordanian Ambassador to Japan

The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan is the country located at the foot of the Arabian peninsula, with ancient historical and cultural heritage. The Jordan river, where Jesus was baptized, flows into the Dead Sea. Being adjacent to Israel and Palestine, Jordan is playing a very important role in the Middle East issues.

The lecture by H.E. Mr Samir Naouri, the Jordanian Ambassador to Japan, took place on Thursday, September 12, from 6:30pm at the International House of Japan. The debut on the modern stage of the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan is still fairly recent, but from ancient times the country has prospered due to its important position, binding together East and West as well as the sea and the desert. Jordan's various tourist offerings include its splendid landscape, crusader fortresses, Greco-Roman and other ruins, and the world heritage site of Petra. Following a video introduction to Jordan, Ambassador Naouri spoke in easy-to-understand English about Jordan's customs, history, and present and future prospects. The Ambassador spoke on such fascinating topics as the state of the Dead Sea (With a salt content so concentrated things float on the surface, the Dead Sea's water is gradually decreasing) and the huge "Red-Dead" project, to bring water from the Red Sea, whose water level differs by 400 meters, and the filming of the Indiana Jones movie on location in the country. During the Q & A session, there was a question about the Israel-Palestine problem, which the Ambassador answered by explaining Jordan's position in detail, providing a wonderful learning opportunity for the audience. The lecture was extremely well-received. ESUJ intends to invite other ambassadors and ministers to introduce their countries in the future.

H.E. Mr. Samir I. Naouri
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan to Japan
Graduate American University in Beirut Joined Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972. After having served in Japan, France, Australia, Spain, USA, assigned as Ambassador to China (1993-1999), Secretary-General to the Minister (1999-2000), then Ambassador to Japan (since 2000).