Safadi, Greek prime minister discuss bilateral ties, war on Gaza

AMMAN — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday received Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who concluded an official visit to Greece to discuss bilateral relations and efforts to stop Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Safadi and Mitsotakis discussed ways to develop bilateral relations in various fields, within the context of trilateral cooperation with Cyprus and the framework of the European Union.

They also discussed efforts to ensure adequate and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

The Greek prime minister and Safadi also addressed ways to prevent the expansion of the war to Lebanon and the West Bank, and to launch effective international action to end the conflict based on the two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

Safadi also conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah's greetings to the President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou and reaffirmed His Majesty's commitment to enhancing the partnership between the two countries.

Mitsotakis also sent his greetings to His Majesty, emphasising the importance of relations with the Kingdom and appreciating the role of His Majesty in promoting peace, security, and stability in the region.

Also on Wednesday, Safadi met with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis over bilateral relations and ways to develop them in various fields, as well as efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza and end the escalating humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war.

Safadi stressed the importance of the existing cooperation between the two countries bilaterally and within the framework of the trilateral cooperation mechanism that brings about Jordan, Greece and Cyprus, which His Majesty King Abdullah and the leaders in Greece and Cyprus are keen to develop.

He added "We are in the same neighbourhood; what happens in our region affects Greece, and what happens there affects us. Any threat to security and stability in either of our regions is a common threat to us."

Safadi said that all values are currently being violated due to the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, 264 days of brutal aggression that destroyed an entire community, displaced more than two-thirds of Gaza's population, killed more than 39,000 people, 70 per cent of whom were children and women, and destroyed schools, hospitals and mosques. 

This brutal aggression will not achieve security for Israel nor peace in the region because Israel will not attain security unless the Palestinians also enjoy security and peace, the minister added.

He highlighted that the way to achieve this is through the two-state solution, which embodies an independent Palestinian state with sovereignty, and East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders, to live in security and peace alongside Israel.

Safadi added that this war must stop. What Israel is doing, killing children, destroying schools, destroying international law, and the credibility of all international institutions, is harmful and a crime that must stop.

He also pointed out that the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly catastrophic, as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report issued on Tuesday showed that 96 per cent of Gaza's residents are experiencing conditions that are unacceptable humanely and that the UN and its organisations are unable to distribute food and medicine.

The minister said that Israel not only prevents the delivery of food, medicine, water, and services to Gaza but also prevents UN organisations from delivering even this little aid to those in need in the besieged strip.

He added that the International Court of Justice is now considering the case of whether Israel may have committed genocide. All this indicates that what is happening cannot be ignored. 

"We in Jordan and the Arab region certainly all want a just and comprehensive peace, but we all believe that the path to this peace is what we agreed upon in Greece, the European Union, and even the United States, that its path is the two-state solution, but Israel undermines this solution," Safadi said.

For his part, Gerapetritis expressed his country's appreciation for Jordan's position in protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and in protecting cultural diversity and religious tolerance in a "very sensitive" area.

He said that Jordan has been "significantly and greatly" affected by the repeated regional crises, hosting millions of Palestinian refugees and providing them with a safe haven.