Safadi, EU’s Borrell hold extensive talks on Palestine, Syria in Brussels

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Brussels on Tuesday held extensive talks with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President, Josep Borrell. 

During his meeting with Borrell during the second and final stop of a European tour that began in Germany on Monday, Safadi emphasised the importance of the Jordanian-European partnership and the European role in regional crisis resolution efforts to achieve security, stability and prosperity, according to a Foreign Ministry statement

The Palestinian cause was a prominent topic in the discussions, with Safadi emphasising the danger of the ongoing deterioration in the occupied Palestinian territories and the need to stop illegal Israeli measures that fuel violence and undermine the two-state solution. 

He also stressed the need for “a real political horizon” to relaunch serious and effective negotiations for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

Safadi and Borrell discussed the outcomes of the Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh meetings and Jordan’s efforts made to stop deterioration and escalation by addressing root causes and activating the peace process, in which Jordan envisions Europe playing an important and leading role. 

The two officials also discussed preparations for a Munich Group meeting in Berlin next month. Safadi stressed the importance of the European Union's position in support of the two-state solution, rejecting settlements, land confiscation, house demolitions and the displacement of Palestinians, and emphasised the necessity of respecting the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Safadi and Borrell also reaffirmed their rejection of extremist, racist discourse, with both parties stressing the need to confront such rhetoric.

Both sides agreed to continue coordination and joint work towards achieving a fair and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution. 

The discussions also covered  the Jordanian initiative to solve the Syrian crisis through direct Arab-Syrian engagement, based on a step-by-step approach that ensures the end of the crisis and addresses its humanitarian, security and political implications while preserving Syria's unity, cohesion and sovereignty, and meeting the aspirations of its people.

Safadi stressed that the current situation in Syria is impossible to sustain, and spoke about handling the crisis through approaches that focus on management, rather than broad, sweeping solutions.

Safadi and Borrell also discussed the need for continued international support for refugees and their host countries. They also reviewed the ongoing preparations for the seventh Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, organised by the European Union, to be held in Brussels in June of this year.

Safadi thanked Borrell for the European Union’s continuous support for Syrian refugees in Jordan, as well as support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).