ammonnews.net

Ammon News -

Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi Tuesday reiterated the need to resume serious and effective negotiations to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the lines of June 4, 1967 that lives in security and peace alongside Israel in line with the international law and the Arab Peace Initiative.

In a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi at the King Hussein Bridge, Safadi stressed that there is no alternative to the two-state solution as the avenue to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.

Safadi and Ashkenazi discussed regional and international developments and their implications for efforts to re-launch negotiations, including a new US administration in office, the Munich Group meetings that included, in addition to Jordan, Egypt, France and Germany and the resumption of the International Quartet meetings.

He also pointed to the outcomes of the extraordinary meeting of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers, which reaffirmed Arab unanimity on the Palestinian issue and the fundamentals and requirements of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

Safadi stressed the resumption of economic and security cooperation between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel after Israel informed the Palestinian leadership in writing of its commitment to signed agreements, and said that it should be followed by real negotiations that the majority of the international community is unanimous they need to restart and make quick progress to arrive at the two-state solution.

Further, Safadi stressed that Israel should halt construction and expansion of Jewish settlements, demolition of homes and refraining from other illegal practices that undermine the two-state solution and prospects of achieving a just peace without which, he warned, the region will never enjoy security and stability.

Safadi stated that all the peace agreements that Israel signed with the Arab countries, including the peace treaty with Jordan, cannot be an alternative to solving the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution and according to the land-for-peace equation and the international law as the path to achieve peace that the people will accept and the key to a solution.

The Deputy Premier also said that Israel must stop all provocations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque/ Al-Haram Al-Sharif and respect the existing legal and historical status quo and live up to its legal obligations as the occupying power.

Safeguarding the Arab identity of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and preserving the historical and legal status existing therein is a key priority for Jordan based on the Hashemite custodianship over the holy shrines, he said.

Safadi and Ashkenazi discussed outstanding issues they tackled in previous talks, including Jordanian exports to the West Bank, with Safadi calling for lifting all Israeli restrictions in that respect.

The talks also dealt with the issues of water, transport and regulation of commercial movement, exports and traffic at border crossings.