Ammon News - Jordan's foreign minister and EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Monday co-chaired the sixth regional forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).

The forum, which was held in Spain, saw the participation of 42 foreign ministers of the UfM member states, as well as EU officials and representatives of regional organisations.

Ayman Safadi, foreign affairs minister, said the forum emphasises our belief in it as a platform of "dialogue and cooperation," adding that since its inception in 2008, the sense of union between the two banks of the Mediterranean has grown stronger.

He said there should be more cooperation between the UfM member states to realise economic development, empower women and the youth, counter climate change and bridge the development gap between member states.

Safadi said that to achieve development, conflict in the region must be addressed to bring about stability and peace, stressing there should be concerted efforts to secure detente necessary to tackle regional crises.

"Realising fair peace that would be acceptable to all peoples is a prerequisite for regional security and stability. Occupation and peace do not go together.

A Palestinian child wants a safe home, a school, a playground and then a university, and he wants a job opportunity in a free, independent and sovereign homeland on its national soil. This is his right as it is the right of every child in the region and the world," Safadi explained.

He emphasised that the two-state solution is the way to peace, adding that undermining the two-state solution is a threat to the region.

On Syria, Safadi highlighted the destruction in Syria wrought by war, adding there should be more effort to bring an end to the crisis through diplomacy and politics to preserve the country's territorial integrity.

He said that Jordan has been grappling with the challenges of hosting and providing care for more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees amidst dwindling international support for host countries, warning against what could transpire as a result.

He said that refugees will not risk their lives by crossing the Mediterranean if they are offered decent living conditions.

He thanked Sweden for co-organising the International Ministerial Summit to Support UNRWA, warning also of the dwindling support for the UN agency that puts more than 560,000 Palestinian refugees in school.

On Libya, Safadi expressed Jordan's support for the country's elections scheduled for December.

He also said there should be work to prevent crises before reaching the "point of no return," saying Lebanon should be supported before "slipping deeper into neediness and the absence of horizon."