No economic offer can replace political solution that ends occupation — Safadi

AMMAN — No economic proposition can replace a political resolution to the occupation of Palestine, one that is founded on the basis of the two-state solution, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday.

Safadi’s remarks came during meetings with his Japanese, Norwegian and Swedish counterparts prior to the inauguration of the Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

In the meeting with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallström, Safadi affirmed that Jordan and Sweden will continue to dedicate their partnership to rallying financial and political support to UNRWA and to guaranteeing that the agency continues to play its role towards more than 5 million Palestinian refugees.

The two ministers reiterated the importance of launching international efforts that would effectively resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the two-state solution. 

Safadi stressed the significance of Europe’s role in contributing to the achievement of regional peace and stability.

He expressed gratitude for the Swedish and European stance in support of the two-state solution, according to the statement.

The two-state solution would ensure the end of the occupation and the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4,1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, Safadi highlighted.  

For her part, the Swedish minister stressed the centrality of Jordan’s role in creating peace and stability in the region. 

The Palestinian cause was also addressed during Safadi’s meetings with his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, and his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Søreide. 

Safadi reaffirmed that an economic proposition without a political context would not achieve peace, which Arab states have declared a strategic goal that adheres to the Arab Peace Initiative and international legislations. 

He warned of the implications of a lack of progress towards a political solution to the conflict and of the spread of despair due to the continuation of the occupation.  

Safadi stressed that the absence of peace is the primary obstacle facing economic development, stability and security. 

The minister underscored that peace cannot be achieved unless the all Palestinians’ rights are fulfilled, with freedom and statehood at the forefront.

In his meeting with the Japanese minister, Safadi expressed gratitude for Japan’s stances towards the Palestinian cause and its “positive involvement” with efforts to face regional challenges. 

Meanwhile, in a meeting with his Norwegian counterpart, Safadi affirmed the continuation of cooperation and discussion between the two countries to end the stagnation of the peace process. 

Safadi and his counterparts reviewed ways to deal with regional developments in order to mitigate tensions through dialogue.

Safadi and the other top diplomats also discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations in various fields and stressed on Jordan’s “firm stance”, which calls for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.