Amman, Oct. 15 (Petra) -Senate President Faisal Fayez said Jordan rejects aggressive Israeli government policies and Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and Gulf states.
Fayez's remarks came during his meeting with Pere Joan Pons, secretary general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), on the sidelines of a conference of international parliament speakers, according to a Senate statement.
Attended by Jordan's Ambassador to Italy Qais Abu Dayyeh, talks covered Jordan's relations with European Union states and the current situation in the region.
The discussions also covered the importance of cooperation at all levels to find peaceful solutions to conflicts and wars, based on international legitimacy resolutions.
Fayez said King Abdullah II is keen to engage with political leaders in EU countries and European parliamentary institutions.
He said this effort aims to strengthen Jordan's partnership with the EU across political, economic, parliamentary and security fields, and to consult on issues of common concern, based on the strategic and historic ties between the two sides.
On the region, Fayez said the King, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, confronted the international community with the reality of the conflicts and crises facing the world.
He cited their political, security and economic repercussions and their impact on international peace and on people's dignity and right to a free and safe life. The King called for practical steps to protect people, stop violations and enforce respect for international law, Fayez said.
Fayez said the King also warned the international community of aggressive Israeli policies in the region. He said the King exposed the reality of the Israeli government and the war crimes it commits in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The King demanded that the international community hold it accountable by imposing economic sanctions on the Israeli government, settlement entities and extremists, Fayez said.
Fayez pointed to the risks Jordan faces from the Israeli government's continued aggressive and expansionist policies, which seeks to annex the West Bank, liquidate the Palestinian cause, forcibly displace Palestinians and make Jordan an alternative homeland.
He said it also tries to tamper with the Hashemite Custodianship and pursues illegitimate policies in Jerusalem aimed at entrenching occupation across all occupied Palestinian land.
Fayez said Jordan rejects these policies, as well as any solution to the Palestinian cause at the expense of its national constants or any tampering with its sovereignty, security and stability.
He said Jordan's position on the Arab-Palestinian conflict is "unchanged" and aims to enable Palestinians to obtain their rights and establish an independent Palestinian state.
He praised the EU's economic, political and security support for Jordan, commending EU states for affirming the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and condemning Israeli incursions into these snactities.
He cited their rejection of settler violence and of changes to Jerusalem's legal and historical status, and their emphasis on the two-state solution as the basis for peace and stability in the region.
On the Iranian-United States-Israeli war, Fayez stressed Jordan's rejection of Iranian attacks on the kingdom and Gulf Arab states. He said Jordan will not allow itself to become a battleground for the parties to the conflict.
The two sides pointed to the danger of Iran's continued threat to countries in the region, stressing the need to end the war and noting its effects are "no longer limited to the region and now threaten international stability and peace." They cited its impact on commodities, energy prices and trade, as Iran continues to close the Strait of Hormuz and halt oil supplies, and its proxies threaten to close the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
Both sides stressed the importance of serious, tangible steps by the international community to end conflicts in the region, urging practical measures to end the Israeli government's aggressive policy against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to stop its expansionist policies in the region.
Fayez presented Jordan's positions on regional issues. He said Jordan stresses the need for a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution.
He said the King continuously calls for ending all crises and conflicts through political frameworks. Fayez described the King as a voice of wisdom who continues efforts to resolve and defend the Palestinian cause.
For his side, Pons praised Jordan's pivotal role in the region and the world and its active role in working to resolve regional issues. He stressed the importance of continued European security support for Jordan, to help it face challenges arising from regional conflicts and continue its pivotal role against terrorism and drug trafficking and for regional stability and security.
On the sidelines of the conference, Fayez also met separately with Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Turkish Grand National Assembly Speaker Numan Kurtulmus.
Fayez discussed relations and the current situation in the region with each, noting importance of continuing meetings to strengthen parliamentary ties.
//Petra// NQ
