Hungary says stance on Mideast conflict unaltered

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Wednesday met with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó over bolstering the two countries ties.

The two top diplomats reviewed regional developments and the means of mobilising efforts to resolve regional crises, foremost of which is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to which the only path to achieve comprehensive peace, Safadi stressed, is a two-state solution that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

The minister referred to international laws that stipulate that Jerusalem is among final-status issues whose fate must be determined through direct negotiations in line with international legitimacy resolutions and other terms of reference.

He added that Jerusalem, as the custodian of the city’s Islamic and Christian holy places King Abdullah affirms, is the key to peace, highlighting the need to safeguard the Holy City and preserve its Arab, Islamic and Christian identity.

For his part, Szijjártó stressed that relocating the embassy of Hungary, currently in Tel Aviv, is not on the agenda. 

Regarding the recent opening of a trade mission in Jerusalem, Szijjártó said that his country has taken this decision for economic considerations in light of the common economic interests with the Israeli side, affirming his county's unaltered stance towards the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

Furthermore, the top diplomats underlined the need to scale up all efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis which preserves the unity of Syria, ends the suffering of the Syrian people and restores the security and stability of Syria, the statement said.

During the meeting, Safadi said that the ideology of terrorism does not belong to any culture or religion, and has no root in Islam, which is characterised by peace and respect for the other.

Szijjártó voiced Hungary's appreciation for Jordan’s humanitarian assistance to refugees, highlighting that his country stressed, through the EU, the necessity of increasing support for Jordan to alleviate its burdens. 

The Hungarian top official underlined that his country has allocated $90 million to support Jordan-Hungary trade exchange.

This is the first visit by Szijjártó to Jordan since he assumed his post as a minister of foreign affairs and trade, according to the statement.