Safadi continues meetings in New York

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday held a series of meetings with various foreign ministers and officials during the 78th  session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Safadi held talks with his Portuguese counterpart,  João Cravinho, to explore  ways  of enhancing cooperation between Jordan and Portugal in various fields.

During a meeting with the Costa Rican foreign minister, Arnoldo André Tinoco, an agreement to waive visa requirements for individuals holding diplomatic and service passports between the governments of Jordan and Costa Rica was signed by the two ministers, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Ahead of the ministerial conference to  support  the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Safadi met with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. The two ministers, who  will co-chair the conference later in the day, discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations between Jordan and Sweden, in addition to strengthening cooperation within the framework of the EU partnership.

In line with the ongoing coordination efforts among relevant stakeholders to address the crisis in Syria,  Safadi also met with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the humanitarian, security and political aspects of the crisis, in line with the step-by-step approach outlined in UN Resolution 2254.

In a separate meeting on Wednesday, Safadi held talks with US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, where the deliberations focused on Jordanian-American relations, regional issues and ways to enhance regional security and stability.

Safadi also met Barbara Leaf, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, where they discussed  ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between Jordan and the United States. Their discussions covered a range of regional and international issues, with a particular focus on the Palestinian cause, the crisis in Syria and the refugee issue.

Addressing  the Ministerial Meeting of the Palestinian people’s aid coordination committee,  Safadi highlighted the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy and reviving the peace process.

The Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday hosted Safadi  in a dialogue session where he discussed Jordanian-American relations and reviewed the latest regional developments, particularly  those related to the Palestinian cause and the crisis in Syria.