The recent Israeli actions in Jerusalem jeopardize peace and stability in the region, the Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Thursday in statements to the press following a meeting he had in Nicosia with his counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides. He also said that he conveys a message/letter to President Anastasiades from King of Jordan.
The talks covered the MidEast peace process and the situation in Jerusalem, the Ukrainian crisis, the energy situation, the food production and supply insecurity, bilateral ties and the Cyprus issue.
Kasoulides in his statements warmly welcomed King Abdullah’s proposal to station Jordanian firefighting aircraft in Cyprus during the fire-season.
He noted that the visit takes place in the context of the ongoing bilateral coordination and during the meeting they reviewed the entire spectrum of this cooperation, bilateral and trilateral, and exchanged views on the next steps that lie ahead to further enhance the excellent ties, in view of the upcoming Trilateral Heads of State Summit to be held in Cyprus during the second semester of 2022.
He said that we all agree that the situation in Ukraine is deeply worrying with repercussions ranging from food insecurity in the Middle East and shockwaves to the world economy.
Kasoulides said that they also focused on the worrisome situation in Jerusalem and he commended Jordan’s continuous efforts for de-escalation.
“I would like in this context to reaffirm Cyprus’ full support for upholding the status quo of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship and acknowledge Jordan’s commitment to secure all religions’ right to the freedom of worship. It is imperative that the fragile stability in the Old City of Jerusalem is safeguarded in order to avoid a new spiral of violence”, the Cyprus FM said.
As regards to the Middle East Peace Process, he reaffirmed Cyprus’ firm support to efforts for assisting the relaunch of a process aiming at direct and meaningful negotiations for a comprehensive and lasting peace settlement, based on a two – states solution, in line of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters.
He also said that they discussed the current state of affairs regarding EU-Jordan relations and added that he will do his best to attend the EU – Jordan Association Council that has been confirmed to take place on June 2nd in Jordan.
“As the closest EU member state to the region, we believe that we act as the connecting link with the EU, not only for Jordan but also for the entire region”, he noted.
The Jordanian Foreign Minister in his statements, interpreted in Greek, said that there was an honest and deep discussion based on the stable and sound relationship between the two countries.
Safadi said he was conveying a letter to the President of the Republic from King Abdullah, as part of the excellent relations and bilateral efforts to overcome the situation.
He said that Jordan was looking forward to broadening the horizons of cooperation, which would have positive consequences for both countries and for the situation in Jordan, as well as food and energy insecurity.
Jordanian FM said that his country feels that through the cooperation with Cyprus, there is an urgent need to find a solution to address the situation (in Jerusalem) and avoid its further escalation.
As regards the bilateral ties he said that Jordan considers that “we are on the right track” with firm steps for further cooperation given that the two countries have concluded several agreements that ensure a profitable and attractive environment for investment and the avoidance of double taxation.
Safadi said that Jordan highly appreciates the clear position and stance of Cyprus regarding the protection of the status quo in Jerusalem and the conservation of Muslim and Christian holy sites and the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as the custodian of the protection of these rights.
He thanked Cyprus for its firm stance for a two-state solution as regards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict adding that the current situation cannot continue and we all need and hope for a peace, based on the law.
He also underlined the need for resumption of substantive talks adding that the Israeli actions undermine stability and peace in the region.
Jordanian FM also emphasized that the both Cyprus and Jordan were committed to stability and peace, and said that international law, UN resolutions and the principle of non-intervention in other countries should not be violated.
Source: Cyprus News Agency