Safadi, UAE counterpart talk ties, region

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in a phone call on Tuesday with United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussed regional and international developments.

Focusing on bolstering relations between Jordan and the UAE, the two ministers affirmed continuing coordination and consultation to resolve regional crises and establish security and stability in the region.

The two sides stressed the need to intensify efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, which guarantees establishing an independent Palestine on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to live in security and peace alongside Israel.

In this regard, Safadi and Al Nahyan highlighted the necessity to stop all illegal Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution.

They reiterated Jordan and the UAE's condemnation of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's storming of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif today on Tuesday, violating international law and leading to serious escalation.

Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, with its total area of 144 dunums, is a place of worship for Muslims only, they stressed, underlining the need for Israel to respect the existing historical and legal status quo of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and adhere to its responsibilities as the occupying power.

Highlighting the role of the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem in protecting the city’s Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, Sheikh Abdullah voiced rejection of any prejudice practised against the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department, as it has “exclusive authority” to supervise the holy site’s affairs and manage entries.

Safadi stressed that Jordan will continue to devote all its capabilities to protecting the holy sites and ensuring respect for the existing historical and legal status quo therein, warning of the danger of Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque and attempts to change the existing historical and legal status quo.

The two ministers affirmed continuing to work hand in hand to find real political horizons to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.