Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan on Monday underlined the importance of resolving the issue of the Palestinian refugees.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Mohammed Tayseer Bani Basin told a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) meeting at the Dead Sea shores that the only solution to the plight of the Palestinian refugees lies in the resumption of the direct talks that would lead to a two-state solution.

The official also affirmed that Jordan, as a custodian of the holy places in Jerusalem, will continue to exert efforts to thwart the Israel's unilateral measures that aim to put barriers in the resumption of the negotiations with the Palestinian side.

The Foreign Ministry official also spoke about the financial hardships and challenges facing the UN agency, urging donor countries to respect their obligations towards the UNRWA.

Jordan alone, Bani Yasin said, hosts 42 percent of the refugees being taken care of by the UNRWA in five different regions.

Meanwhile, the head of the UNRWA Advisory Commission, Per Orneus, spoke about the challenges facing the agency, noting that it had to work in very hard conditions. Orneus also spoke about the ramifications of the Syrian crisis on the Palestinian refugees there, noting that the issue of the Palestinian refugees is escalating. He also spoke about the financial challenges and ways to address these in the near future.

*Petra