Ammon News - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday held talks, focused on the serious events in the city of Jerusalem and efforts aimed at stopping the escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as enhancing the strategic relationship between the two countries in addition to the regional developments.

In joint press statements with Blinken prior to the talks that took place at the headquarters of the US State Department, Safadi said that Jerusalem is a "red line" and that efforts are now focused on stopping the escalation in the holy city.

"We are all working to deal with the very dangerous situation in Jerusalem. As we have always said in Jordan, Jerusalem is a red line and maintaining stability and peace in the city is essential to the stability of the region," Safadi added.

"Our focus now is on stopping the escalation, and in order for that to happen, all illegal and provocative Israeli practices against Palestinian citizens of Sheikh Jarrah must stop and the violations at the Al Haram Al-Sharif must stop," he noted.

Safadi further added that "the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctities must be preserved, and the rights of Palestinians must be respected in order to calm the situation," underlining the need to channel efforts towards finding a political horizon to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace that meets the rights of all parties on the basis of the two-state solution. However, Safadi noted, the priority today is "to stop the escalation and ensure respect for international law, the right of Palestinians, and the right of worshipers to worship."

Safadi said that the United States has a leadership role in "efforts to achieve peace and stability that we all want. We all want peace as a strategic option. We know that the two-state solution is the way to achieve this."

Safadi unddrscored the solidity of the Jordan-US strategic partnership, and said that he "looks forward to constructive and useful talks with Blinken on ways to enhance the strategic partnership between two ally countries at this critical stage."

He added, "The relationship between Jordan and the United States is a historic partnership," and that the Kingdom appreciates the support that the United States provides to it to help it face challenges. He also said, His Majesty King Abdullah looks forward to his upcoming visit to the United States and a meeting with President Joe Biden to discuss ways to boost the partnership for the benefit of the two countries and to enhance security and stability in the region.

Safadi added that his talks with Blinken will also deal with cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism, supporting Iraq and efforts to reach political solutions to the crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

For his part, the US Secretary of State stressed the necessity of stopping escalation and all provocative actions, and that all parties should reduce escalation and tension, and take practical steps to calm the situation.

Blinken emphasized the solidity of Jordan-US ties, pointing out that Jordan "knows that President Biden is an old and strong friend to it. Jordan is our closest partner in dealing with many of challenges that we face together in the region."

During the talks, the two ministers underscored their utmost keenness to enhance consultation and cooperation in various fields and in order to achieve the common goal of enhancing security and stability and achieving peace.

During his official visit to the United States, Safadi held talks with US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, which focused on the serious developments in Jerusalem, bilateral ties and regional developments.

Safadi and Sullivan stressed the need for continued work to stop the escalation, and they reviewed developments in the region, saying that work must be doen to resolve regional crises and achieve security and stability.

Safadi and Sullivan said Jordan-US ties are solid and expressed their keenness to develop them in all fields.