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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on Monday agreed to continue work to cement the Jordanian-European partnership and enhance mutual economic and development cooperation and coordination on regional issues.

Safadi and Mogherini held talks on increasing economic cooperation programs, during which the EU foreign policy chief said she is confident that the EU is proceeding with approving a new €500 million soft loan to the kingdom before the end of the year.

Safadi hailed EU support to the Kingdom, particularly economic assistance and financing development programs, as well as its main contribution to help Jordan bear the burden of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Mogherini reaffirmed that the EU will remain a supporter of Jordan and its reform programs as the bloc strongly appreciates the Kingdom's key regional role of enhancing security and stability in the Middle East.

The talks also dealt with developments related to the Palestinian issue and efforts to resolve the conflict, and Mogherini reiterated the EU's firm support of the two-state solution as the only avenue to resolve the conflict.

Safadi valued the EU's clear position in supporting the Palestinians' right to freedom and statehood and rejecting the unilateral Israeli actions that undermine the two-state solution, and also noted EU aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The foreign minister and the top EU diplomat also discussed efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves the unity and cohesion of Syria, stressing the importance of forming a constitutional committee as a key step on the road to this solution.

They also agreed on cooperation in the fight against terrorism and on broader prospects for security and defense cooperation.

In a joint press conference, Safadi praised Mogherini's latest efforts to further advance the Jordanian-EU partnership into a new era of cooperation, which culminated in the signing of partnership agreements, the rules of origin on the entry of Jordanian goods to the EU market, and financial aid agreements, part of the assistance program to help the Kingdom shoulder the burden of hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees.

Calling Jordan a 'hub of wisdom and stability' in the region, Mogherini said coordination is ongoing with the Kingdom to jointly address the difficult issues and crises of the region.

She pledged that the EU will continue to support Jordan as a key and reliable partner, recognizing the challenges facing the Kingdom.