Baghdad, Oct. 17 (Petra)-- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nancy Namrouqa on Saturday participated in the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), hosted by the Republic of Iraq in Baghdad.

In Jordan’s address to the meeting, Namrouqa said Palestine would remain the central issue and the clearest test of the credibility of the international system, stressing that there could be no peace in the region or sustainable security for its peoples without ending the occupation and fulfilling the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and to establish an independent, sovereign state on their national territory along the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.

She stressed the need to uphold the Gaza ceasefire agreement and fully implement its provisions, as well as lift all Israeli restrictions on the entry of adequate and sustained humanitarian aid into the Strip.

Namrouqa renewed Jordan’s warning about the dangers of Israel’s illegal measures in the occupied West Bank, including settler violence, settlement expansion, land confiscation and violations of the historical and legal status quo at Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. She said these measures undermine the prospects for a two-state solution and all efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees security and stability in the region.

She affirmed that Jordan would continue to make every possible effort to safeguard the historical and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites.

Namrouqa also underscored the importance of supporting and protecting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and enabling it to carry out its duties in accordance with its UN mandate.

Turning to other regional crises, she said Jordan’s position remained firmly rooted in supporting national states and safeguarding their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

She noted that Jordan supports the Syrian government’s efforts to rebuild the country on foundations that preserve Syria’s unity, sovereignty, security, stability, territorial integrity and the safety of its citizens, while safeguarding the rights of all Syrians.

She also reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Lebanon and efforts to consolidate stability there, expressing support for the Lebanese government’s efforts to extend its sovereignty over all Lebanese territory. She stressed the need for Israel to withdraw from the Lebanese territories it has occupied and to implement the understandings reached with the Lebanese government.

Namrouqa stressed Jordan’s condemnation of any attacks against Arab countries and reiterated the Kingdom’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, condemning Houthi terrorist attacks on Saudi territory and civilian and economic facilities.

She also rejected attacks on ships and maritime routes, stressing that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait is a right guaranteed under international law.

"Protecting our peoples begins with protecting international law from selective application," she said, warning that a law applied in one crisis but disregarded in another loses its authority and undermines confidence in the international system.

Namrouqa also expressed Jordan’s hope that OIC member states would participate at the highest level in the Safeguarding Humanity in War conference, which Jordan will host on December 7, to reinforce respect for international humanitarian law, protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and prevent impunity.

//Petra// MF