Safadi, UN secretary general discuss means to rally international support for UNRWA

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi during a meeting with leading UN representatives on Friday and in an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday stressed the importance of continuing financial support for UNRWA, at a time when there is a lack of serious political grounds to realise a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

Safadi and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held the Friday meeting in New York, the US, on efforts to provide the necessary financial and political support to UNRWA. It was attended by UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini.

Safadi, Guterres and Lazzarini agreed on the need to act "effectively" and jointly to ensure UNRWA’s financial need, which suffers from a financial crisis that hinders its capabilities to provide vital services to Palestinian refugees.

Safadi expressed appreciation for Guterres's efforts to support the agency and its role, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

During the meeting, Safadi stressed the Kingdom's continued endeavours with international and regional partners to mobilise support for the agency so it can continue providing services as per its UN mandate.

The minister said that the agency should continue to provide its services until the refugee issue is resolved in the context of a comprehensive settlement to the Middle East conflict on the basis of the two-state solution that guarantees refugees' right to return and compensation.

Guterres stressed the importance of UNRWA's continued support and the centrality of its role in providing a "decent" life for Palestinian refugees.

Lazzarini, who met with Safadi separately prior to the meeting with Guterres, stressed the importance of the international community to continue to fulfil its financial obligations to UNRWA. He reviewed the agency's plans for the coming years and the challenges facing its budget and financial deficit.

During the meeting, the three sides agreed to continue coordination to mobilise political and financial support for UNRWA, and consult and coordinate with partners on ways to provide the necessary support to the UN agency.

Jordan and Sweden have organised a series of ministerial meetings in recent years to mobilise political and financial support for UNRWA.

Safadi and President of the 76th Ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid at the Friday meeting held talks over several regional and international issues and efforts to resolve regional crises.

Developments related to the Palestinian cause topped Safadi's talks with Shahid, where the deputy premier stressed the importance of intensifying efforts aimed to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution that meets the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Safadi stressed that the two-state solution is the only means to establish an independent, sovereign Palestinian state with occupied Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-1967 lines, which can live in security and peace alongside Israel, stressing that this solution is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.

He also reiterated the need to respect Jerusalem's legal and historical status quo, avoid imposing restrictions on worshipers, and stop all provocative measures in the holy sites, especially during Ramadan.

Shahid lauded Jordan's main role, under His Majesty King Abdullah's leadership, in efforts to instill security and stability in the region.

Safadi also met with Permanent Representative of the US to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield in a meeting that discussed Jordan's "strategic" partnership with the US, the refugee issue, and regional and international developments.

During his visit to New York, Safadi met with a group of US think-tanks and research centres, and a number of representatives of Jewish organisations. The minister, during these meetings, highlighted the Kingdom's positions on regional issues and Amman's efforts to solve regional crises and achieve security and stability.

Also on Saturday, in an interview with Al Jazeera, Safadi stressed that Jordan is concerned about the deteriorating conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories and warned of marginalising the Palestinian cause, which will lead to more conflicts, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The minister said that King Abdullah's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli president and the Israeli minister of defence aimed to create a real political ground to realise just and comprehensive peace.

The top diplomat said that these contacts also seek to preserve the comprehensive calm and guarantee the right of worshippers to reach Islamic holy sites without any restrictions. He also called for an end to all Israeli provocative practices.

Safadi said that all unilateral procedures undermining the two-state solution should immediately be stopped, such as building settlements and the forcible evictions of the Al Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood residents and the residents of other areas.

When asked about the negotiations with the Israeli president, Safadi said that His Majesty's talks with the Israeli president followed a summit meeting between King Abdullah and President Abbas and are part of Jordan’s continuous efforts to create a real political ground for the peace process. 

He added that the talks with the Israeli president were clear and reflected the Kingdom's position that peace is a strategic option in the interest of all. 

“The road to this peace is clear,” Safadi said, adding that it can be reached through meeting Palestinians’ full legitimate rights, mainly freedom and statehood.

When asked about the message that Jordan wanted to deliver after apologising for not attending the Naqab meeting, which came in conjunction with His Majesty's visit to Ramallah, the minister said that Jordan supports all efforts that can lead to the just and comprehensive peace, yet the Kingdom's stance is based on solving the core issue: The Palestinian cause.

Safadi said that considering the lack of opportunities to talk about the two-state solution, the Kingdom now focuses on stopping all steps that undermine this solution until reaching circumstances that allow for resuming negotiations.