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Ammon News -

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a meeting attended by the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, on efforts to provide the necessary financial and political support to the agency.

Safadi, Guterres, and Lazzarini agreed on the need to act "effectively" and jointly to ensure the provision of the financial support needed by UNRWA, which is suffering from a financial crisis that hinders its capability to provide its vital services to Palestinian refugees, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Safadi thanked Guterres for his efforts to support the agency and its role.

During the meeting, Safadi stressed UNRWA's "vital" role to support Palestinian refugees, stressing the Kingdom's continued work with international and regional partners to mobilize political and financial support for the agency to enable it to continue providing its vital services to refugees in accordance with its UN mandate.

In addition, Safadi said the agency should continue to provide its services in accordance with its UN mandate until the refugee issue is resolved in the context of a comprehensive settlement to the Middle East conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.

This solution should guarantee the refugees' right to return and compensation, in accordance with international law, Safadi pointed out.

For his part, Guterres stressed the importance of UNRWA's continued support and the centrality of its role in providing a "decent" life for Palestinian refugees.

Lazzarini, who had met with Safadi separately prior to the meeting with Guterres, stressed the importance of the international community to continue to fulfill its financial obligations to UNRWA, reviewing the agency's plans for the coming years, and the challenges facing its budget and financial deficit.

The three sides agreed during the meeting to continue coordination to mobilize political and financial support for UNRWA, and consult and coordinate with partners on ways to provide the necessary support to the Agency, the Foreign Ministry statement added.

Jordan and Sweden have organized a series of ministerial meetings in recent years to mobilize political and financial support for UNRWA.

In addition, Safadi and the President of the 76th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, held extensive talks that went over several regional and international issues, and efforts to resolve crises in the region.

Developments related to the Palestinian cause figured top in Safadi's talks with Shahid, as the FM stressed the importance of intensifying efforts aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of a two-state solution that meets all the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, the statement said.

Safadi said the two-state solution is the only alternative to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with occupied Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4, 1967 lines, living in security and peace alongside Israel as the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.

The FM also stressed the need to respect Jerusalem's legal and historical status quo, avoid imposing restrictions on worshipers, and stop all provocative measures in the holy sites, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

Shahid lauded Jordan's main role, under His Majesty King Abdullah II's leadership, in efforts to establish security and stability in the region.

Safadi had met with the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a meeting that discussed Jordan's "strategic" partnership with the United States, the refugee issue, and regional and international developments.

During his visit to New York, Safadi met with a group of American think-tanks and research centers, and a number of representatives of Jewish organizations in dialogues, during which he highlighted the Kingdom's positions on regional issues and its efforts to solve regional crises and achieve security and stability.