Amman, February 2 (Petra)- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in Amman, Sunday, held a meeting for a discussion on cooperation and regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Borrell, who is also the European Commission Vice President, chose Jordan as the first leg of his journey in the region to highlight the Jordanian-European strong ties, and in commendation of His Majesty King Abdullah II’s role in upholding regional peace and security.
In a joint press conference, Safadi welcomed Borrell to the Kingdom, saying: “We had the chance to talk about enhancing the Jordanian-European partnership, especially following His Majesty King Abdullah II’s visit to Brussels.”
“We emphasized that the Kingdom and the Union are moving forward in enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and defense, in addition to many others,” he added.
Safadi also noted the active launch to renew the Jordanian-European partnership agreement that has provided a practical framework to increase bilateral cooperation.
“Our positions are always close, we come from the same grounds that aim at settling conflicts in the region and combatting terrorism,” the foreign minister added.
Safadi said that the Palestinian cause has always been at the forefront of regional talks, praising the EU for its position toward the two-state solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
He said that he had briefed the EU official about the latest developments with regard to “the firm position of that Jordan has taken on how to move forward toward full and just peace that we all want, and also the meeting of the Arab League yesterday.”
In turn, Borrell said, “This is my first visit to the Middle East as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union. I wanted to be here in Jordan to demonstrate our strong partnership at the bilateral and multilateral levels, and as proof of the Union’s appreciation of Jordan’s important role in achieving stability in a region experiencing many challenges.”
He also stressed the Union’s continued support to Jordan to withstand regional difficulties and challenges and said, “Jordan provides continuous support to refugees, as it hosts more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, and the EU will continue its commitment to supporting Jordan’s generous efforts.”
Regarding the developments of the Palestinian issue, Borrell stressed that without an agreement between all parties, there is no chance of any peace plan succeeding.
The parties must return to the negotiating table to find a sustainable way forward based on internationally agreed principles and standards, including the 1967 borders, and the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state, living side by side with the Israel in a state of mutual recognition, he added.