Amman, March 29 (Petra) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi received a phone call on Sunday from Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albares, and met the European Union’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Christophe Bigot.

During the call, Safadi and Albares discussed efforts to end the dangerous escalation witnessed in the region, activating diplomacy as a means to end the war with Iran, and restoring security and stability on foundations that ensure a safe future for the region, as well as respect for international law and the principles of good neighbourliness.

Safadi reiterated during the call Jordan’s condemnation of Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and on sister countries. Albares affirmed his country’s solidarity with the Kingdom.

Safadi also discussed with Albares and the European envoy the situation in Lebanon, where he stressed the need to stop Israeli aggression against Lebanon, support the Lebanese government’s efforts to impose its sovereignty over all its territory, activate its institutions, and confine arms to the state.

Safadi stressed the need to adhere to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, fully implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, and allow sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to enter to end the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

He underscored the need to unify efforts to halt illegal Israeli measures in the occupied West Bank that undermine the two-state solution and efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.

Safadi warned against Israel’s continued restrictions on the right of Muslims and Christians to worship in the occupied Palestinian territories and measures that violate the historical and legal status quo at Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

He reiterated Jordan’s condemnation of Israel preventing Muslims from performing their religious rituals at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which in its entirety constitutes a place of worship exclusively for Muslims, noting that the Jerusalem Awqaf Department affiliated with Jordan’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is the sole authority responsible for administering its affairs.

Safadi also condemned Israel for preventing the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and holding Palm Sunday Mass, in violation of its legal obligations as the occupying power and in breach of the right to unrestricted access to places of worship.

He stressed the need for joint efforts to compel Israel to respect the right of Muslims and Christians to worship at their holy sites in Jerusalem and across the occupied Palestinian territories and to respect the historical and legal status quo at Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Safadi commended Spain’s positions supporting the Palestinian people’s right to an independent, sovereign state on the basis of the two-state solution and in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions as the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace.

He also stressed the importance of the European Union’s support for the two-state solution and its role in supporting the Palestinian people and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

//Petra// AF