Jordan’s pro-Palestine role applauded at Non-Aligned Movement meeting

AMMAN — Jordan has participated in the 18th ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the 5th and 6th of April titled “Promoting international peace and security for sustainable development”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday. 

The gathering, in which Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani headed the Jordanian delegation, stressed support for Jordan’s role under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah in the guardianship and management of Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.

In their final communiqué, participants praised the Hashemite custodianship of the holy shrines, and Jordan’s role in providing protection and services to these sites.

The statement also condemned Israel’s illegal policies and practices as an occupying power against the Palestinian people, illegal construction and expansion of settlements, the destruction of Palestinian homes and property, and collective punishment against the civilian population, including the imprisonment and detention of thousands of civilians, as well as the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The ministers reiterated their call for intensifying efforts to end the Israeli occupation on Palestinian territories in 1967, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with the international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

The communiqué also called on the international community to support Palestinians achieve their legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment a fully sovereign independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital within the pre-1967 lines, in accordance with UN resolutions, Arab Peace Initiative and the road map proposed by the International Quartet on Mideast, in addition to a just solution to the Palestine refugees issue on the basis of the UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

The participants expressed their concern about the increasing number of refugees due to the Syrian crisis, and praised the great efforts made by host countries, Jordan in particular, to shelter refugees despite the political, social, economic and financial burdens borne.

The final communiqué underlined the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in providing support to host countries in order to enable them to cope with the burdens borne as a result of hosting Syrian refugees.

The member states expressed the concern on the humanitarian situation caused by the high number of refugees and displaced people due to conflicts in the Non-Aligned Movement countries

The statement also stressed the need to support UNRWA following the US government’s decision to cut support for the agency.