FM attends Jeddah consultative meeting over end to Syria crisis

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi participated in an Arab consultative meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday evening, which saw the participation of Egypt, Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The informal meeting, held at the invitation of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, covered ways to enhance joint Arab action in facing common challenges and addressing Arab crises, with a focus on the Palestinian cause and efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The participating ministers stressed the centrality of the Palestinian issue and condemned illegal Israeli practices that undermine the two-state solution and opportunities to realise a just and comprehensive peace.

The ministers also condemned Israel's attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and the occupation forces’ attacks on holy sites, stressing the need to respect the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem. The ministers affirmed that Al Aqsa Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims alone.

Talks also confirmed the importance of implementing a leading Arab role in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and address its consequences.

Addressing Arab foreign ministers, Safadi thanked Prince Faisal for hosting the meeting, which allowed for an "in-depth and fruitful" dialogue on Arab issues, and reflected the two kingdoms’ shared consensus on the Palestinian issue.

Safadi also expressed appreciation of Saudi Arabia's efforts in promoting joint Arab action to serve Arab causes.

On the sidelines of the consultative meeting, Safadi and Prince Faisal held bilateral talks that emphasised the "deep-rooted, strategic and brotherly" Jordanian-Saudi relations.

The two ministers also affirmed their continued coordination and consultation regarding regional challenges and Arab issues.

On the sidelines of the event, Safadi also met with his counterparts over bilateral relations and Arab issues.

Following the consultative meeting, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued the following statement:

"Within Saudi Arabia's keenness to serve and enhance the interests of the Arab states, and, under invitation from Prince Faisal Bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as per the endeavour to unify efforts towards a number of issues of mutual concern, unofficial consultations were held at a Suhoor banquet hosted by the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs. The event was attended by his counterparts from the GCC countries, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

During the meeting, the ministers exchanged views on a number of regional issues and developments and underscored the centrality of the Palestinian cause and condemned the illegitimate Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and the possibilities of a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution that could lead to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4, 1967, lines, according to the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant international resolutions.

The ministers also condemned the Israeli aggression at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif and underlined the need to respect and maintain the historical and legal status quo, under which only Muslim worship is allowed at the compound and that the Jordanian-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Aqsa Affairs Department is the only entity that has the exclusive jurisdiction to run the compound's affairs within the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian sites.

They have exchanged consultations and viewpoints on the efforts being exerted to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that puts an end to its repercussions and preserves Syria's territorial unity, security, stability and Arab identity and brings it back into the Arab fold.

The ministers underscored the importance of solving the humanitarian crisis and creating the appropriate environment for all regions of Syria to access assistance and finding the necessary circumstances for the safe return of Syrian refugees and the displaced to their homeland, ending their suffering and taking greater measures to ensure stability across the entire Syrian territory.

The ministers also affirmed the importance of combating all forms of terrorism and terrorist organisations, and the need to combat illicit drug smuggling and trading. They also underlined the importance of the state institutions in preserving the Syrian sovereignty over its territory to end the presence of armed militias and foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs.

The ministers underlined that a political solution is the only way to end the Syrian crisis, emphasising the importance of a leading Arab role in this direction, which requires putting mechanisms in place to intensify consultations among Arab countries to guarantee the success of those efforts.

The ministers expressed their thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its initiative in organising the meeting to discuss joint efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis."