ammonnews.net

Ammon News -

Jordan and Hungary's foreign ministers Wednesday held a meeting in Amman to discuss regional and international developments, as well as bilateral cooperation.

The meeting figured high on the two countries' keenness to broaden cooperation on economy, investment, tourism, medicine and defence, and as part of the strategic partnership with the EU and NATO.

It highlighted regional developments, not the least of which is the Palestinian conflict, as Ayman Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister, informed his counterpart on the efforts of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the international community to reinvigorate peace talks based on the two-state solution.

Safadi highlighted the importance of pooling efforts to stop measures that would undermine the two-state solution, chief of which is the expansion of illegal settlements across the occupied Palestinian West Bank and the expropriation of lands.

He stressed that the legal status quo in the occupied city of Jerusalem and the city's religious sites must be respected, adding that it is a priority to His Majesty King Abdullah II.

He also highlighted Jordan's role in supporting UNRWA and the outcomes of the International Ministerial Meeting to Support UNRWA that was held in Brussels, Belgium.

On the refugees' issue, Safadi said, in a joint press conference following the meeting, "The international community must continue providing support for refugees... the refugees' issue is an international issue and cannot be solely the responsibility of host countries.

"We hold high all the support that our partners and friends have offered, especially the European Union, to help us grapple with this burden."

Safadi raised his concerns over dwindling international support for the refugees which will impact their lives and future. He said, "We must sound the alarm."

He said that the meeting had discussed Jordan's contributions to the efforts aimed at bringing a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

For his part, Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's trade and foreign affairs minister, emphasised Budapest's keenness to further strengthen its ties with Jordan on economic, investment, defence and education areas, highlighting the scholarship programmes that Hungarian universities have offered Jordanians.

He also expressed a desire to bolster bilateral cooperation on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic; in addition, he praised Jordan for its contribution to regional peace and stability and upholding principles of coexistence and moderation.

On the issue of refugees, Szijjarto said that there are new challenges that need to be addressed, adding that the refugees' crisis has its ramifications on central Europe.