Queen Rania Reads “The Sandwich Swap” at UN Headquarters

Queen Rania of Jordan was joined by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday at the United Nations Headquarters Bookshop as she promoted her children’s book “The Sandwich Swap.” Children from the United Nations International School were entertained with her storytelling whilst Ban Ki-moon praised the queen for her approach to cross-cultural dialogue by saying, "tolerance and peaceful coexistence are core United Nations values and essential to progress in the twenty-first century. I commend Her Majesty Queen Rania for her longstanding commitment to raising awareness about the importance of mutual respect and cross-cultural understanding."

Below is Queen Rania’s appearance at the UN Headquarters Bookshop.

Another Visit to America for King Abdullah II

King Abdullah II of Jordan will be back in the United States towards the end of the week. He will be accompanied by his elegant wife, Queen Rania. On Thursday, the king will be meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York to contemplate the possibility of “expanding the UN's efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and foster Middle East peace and stability.” The following day, Abdullah will be speaking at Princeton University. The monarch will wrap up his visit in Washington D.C. where he will rendezvous with President George W. Bush “to discuss means to push the peace process towards a comprehensive peace agreement that addresses all aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.” According to the statement released by the White House press secretary, "The President and Mrs. Bush will welcome King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan to the White House on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. The President looks forward to discussing with the King the bilateral relationship between the United States and Jordan, Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, the situation in Lebanon, and other regional issues. Following his meeting with King Abdullah, the President and Mrs. Bush will host the King and Queen for a private lunch."

Photo: Petra