Over recent decades the political relations between Jordan and the West in general have been good. Jordan has pursued a policy of moderation, and has kept a strategically balanced position with the major regional and international powers (Shlaim, 2008: 546). Very much as a result of regional conflicts, large groups of Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees have played an important role in defining Jordanian foreign and security policy.
As part of the historical background for this overview the question of the Palestinians in Jordan constitutes a significant issue in regional politics , as well as in the cooperation between Jordan and the EU. With 2,242,579 Palestinian refugees registered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Jordan is by far the largest host in the Middle East, and the EU is a major donor to the UNRWA.