Jordanian Foreign Minister: End the ‘occupation’

Jordan on Sunday reiterated that the Israeli-Arab conflict was still the major issue in the Middle East and the only way to end it is through “ending the occupation”, the Xinhua news agency reports.

The remarks were made by Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi, at a meeting with British Minister of State for the Middle East Andrew Murrison.

According to Xinhua, Safadi said that the “occupation” deepens “the state of despair, obstructs development and pushes the whole region towards more tensions and conflicts.”

Safadi also stressed the need for intensified international efforts to resolve the conflict to achieve a two-state solution that ensures the creation of an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

This is the sole way for peace in the Middle East and for preserving the region’s stability and security, which are necessary for achieving the desired development in the region and building the desired future, said Safadi.

Murrison said his country is committed to the two-state solution and supports efforts to realize it.

Last week, King Abdullah II of Jordan met with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Amman and reaffirmed that the Palestinian issue is the central issue in the Middle East and will remain on top of Jordan’s priorities.

The king stressed that Jordan places all its capabilities at the disposal of the Palestinians to attain their “legitimate and just rights” that will result in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

The comments by Jordanian officials come ahead of an economic summit the US is planning to hold in Bahrain next month and in which it is expected to unveil the economic portion of its Middle East peace plan.

The PA has already announced that it will boycott the economic conference, with its “information minister” Nabil Abu Rudeineh saying that the conference would be a meaningless meeting that was part of a meaningless plan.

It is not yet clear whether Jordan will participate in the conference, but other Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have announced they will take part.