Jordan, France back Egyptian initiative

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Saturday renewed Jordan’s strong objection to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, voicing the Kingdom’s support for all efforts seeking to reach an immediate ceasefire in the coastal enclave, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a meeting Saturday with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Ensour valued France’s support to the Palestinian question and its endless efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, underscoring Jordan’s reliance on the pivotal French role towards that end.

For his part, Fabius voiced his country’s support to all efforts seeking to ensure an immediate ceasefire and end hostilities in the Middle East, stressing Paris’ support to the peaceful approach to resolving the decades-long conflict. 

Also on Saturday, Jordan and France reiterated their support for the Egyptian initiative to cease fire in Gaza, which was accepted by Israel and rejected by Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

At a joint press conference on Saturday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and his French counterpart, Fabius, stressed that political solution is the only approach to all the conflicts in the region.

Speaking at the conference Judeh said: “The Egyptian initiative should be backed.”

“The solution for this is political; all parties should end the conflict and go back to discussion,” he said.

Jordan on Friday called for an emergency meeting at the United Nations Security Council as what is happening in Gaza now is a threat to humanity, the region and the world.

Fabius said his country also backed and will continue to back the Egyptian initiative, while stressing that “ceasing fire is our priority”.

He added that Jordan plays a pivotal role in this issue, adding that France and other European countries can play a role as well.

Fabius, who arrived in Jordan on Saturday from Cairo, was scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day to discuss the ceasefire issue.

As for the need to communicate with Hamas to convince its leaders to accept the Egyptian initiative, Judeh said officials in Cairo are in contact with the group and they have communication channels with all parties.

This was also echoed by Fabius, who stressed the need to work with the party that rejected the initiative to persuade it to accept the overture, as “our objective is ceasefire”.

The two officials said they also discussed the latest developments in Iraq, Syria and Libya. They expressed concern about recent developments in the North African country.

They also discussed bilateral ties between the Kingdom and France, and French investments in Jordan.

On Friday, Judeh and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini discussed ways to boost bilateral relations between Italy and Jordan and assessed the latest regional developments, focusing on the mounting conflict in the Gaza Strip. 

Judeh expressed Jordan’s denunciation of the latest Israeli ground invasion targeting more civilians, and called for progressive talks with all influential powers to put an end to the escalating violence.

Judeh said His Majesty King Abdullah was continuously working through intensive contacts with world leaders to arrive at a ceasefire, adding that Jordan supports the Egyptian efforts. 

The talks also addressed the developments in Syria and the burdens borne by Jordan as a result of receiving large numbers of Syrian refugees, re-emphasising the need for a political solution that ensures the sovereignty and security of Syria and unity of its people.  

In statements to the press following the meeting, Judeh underscored the significance of the Italian foreign minister’s visit to Jordan, the second in two weeks, as Italy currently chairs the rotating presidency of the European Union and in light of the dangerous developments in Gaza.