FM affirms Jordan’s readiness to assist Lebanon after fuel tank explosion

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday voiced the Kingdom’s full solidarity with Lebanon in the face of exceptional challenges.

Receiving Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Acting Foreign Minister in Lebanon’s caretaker government Zeina Akar, Safadi expressed the Kingdom’s condolences over the victims of the fuel tank explosion in Akkar, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

He also voiced Jordan’s readiness to offer all kinds of assistance to Lebanon, including treatment of the injured at the Kingdom’s hospitals, following His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives.

The foreign minister also acquainted his Lebanese counterpart with Jordan’s efforts to mobilise international support to Lebanon, whose security constitutes a necessity for regional security and stability.  

Safadi expressed hope for forming a Lebanese government as soon as possible, which will form a main step in addressing the immense challenges facing Lebanon and its people.

The two ministers also stressed the “deep-rooted and historical” ties between the two countries and peoples, voicing keenness to further develop these relations.

They discussed ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy, electricity connection, food and medicine security, as well as ways to improve the level of cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors.

For her part, Akar praised the Kingdom’s positions that support Lebanon in all international events, the latest of which during the International Conference on Assistance and Support to Beirut and the Lebanese People. At the event, held on August 4, His Majesty delivered a speech stressing Jordan’s support to Lebanon.

She also said that Jordan continues to help Lebanon in all its crises and expressed her appreciation of Jordan for the Kingdom’s support during the recent financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the explosion at the Beirut Port and for the Lebanese army.

Meanwhile, Safadi and Akar went over regional developments, mainly those pertaining to the Palestinian cause, the Syrian crisis and the refugee crisis.

The two ministers highlighted the importance of intensifying efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a way that realises all the legitimate Palestinian rights.

Safadi stressed that the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the pre-1967 lines according to international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative, is the only means to realise a comprehensive and lasting peace.

The two ministers repeatedly highlighted the importance of the international community to continue providing support to UNRWA to help the agency offer vital services to Palestinian refugees, according to its UN mandate.

Safadi and Akar also urged the international community to continue bearing its responsibilities towards Syrian refugees, stressing that helping refugees is a joint international responsibility, rather than the responsibility of host countries alone.

They also agreed to sustain coordination over joint challenges and expand cooperation between Amman and Beirut in various fields.