Foreign minister hails partnership with EU

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on Monday discussed means to enhance cooperation between the Kingdom and the EU.

During the meeting, Safadi expressed Jordan’s appreciation for its “effective and important partnership” with the EU and its keenness on boosting cooperation and coordination with the union, according to a ministry statement.

The minister also praised the EU’s support to the Kingdom to help it bear the repercussions of the Syrian refugee influx.

For his part, Stylianides said that the EU considers Jordan a main partner in the region and will continue supporting the Kingdom through multiple cooperation and partnership programmes, highlighting the importance of enhancing the EU-Jordanian partnership in all fields. 

Safadi and Stylianides also went over the latest regional developments and their repercussions on both sides, in addition to the developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In this regard, the minister stressed that realising the joint goal of building security, stability and regional peace requires unified efforts aimed at reaching a just, permanent and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.  

He commended the EU’s stance that supports the two-state solution and reiterated the significance of the union’s political role in ending the dangerous stalemate in the peace process. 

Safadi called on the international community to continue honouring its commitment towards the Syrian refugees, warning, at the same time, of the repercussions of decreasing international support to refugees and host countries.

Pertaining to this, the minister highlighted the importance of providing enough support to the Kingdom to help it meet the needs of some 1.3 million Syrian refugees that it has welcomed.