(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)
Amman, May 18 (Petra) -- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Saturday met Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz and discussed with him ways of strengthening Jordanian-Polish cooperation as well as Middle East developments.
Both ministers agreed to set up a joint working group to determine the steps that the Kingdom and Eastern European nation will take to promote trade, economic, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges and propose a mechanism to enhance the role of the private sector in developing economic cooperation.
The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on the exemption of diplomatic passports holders from entry visa.
In a joint press conference, Safadi said Czaputowicz's visit, the first to the Kingdom, provided an opportunity to discuss ways to deepen cooperation, which is witnessing sustained growth in several sectors, especially the tourism sector. The number of Polish tourists who visited the Kingdom rose to 17,000 in the current year, according to the latest official data, compared to 7,000 last year.
Safadi pointed out that the talks dealt with regional developments, especially those related to the Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis and the Syrian refugee crisis.
Safadi stressed that the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and meets the rights of the Palestinian people, especially the right to freedom and the statehood with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the prerequisite for achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace.
Jordan is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, Safadi said, stressing the need for concerted efforts to find real prospects for resolving the conflict in accordance with the two-state solution.
He warned Safadi of tampering with the situation in Jerusalem and its implications for regional and international security. "As you know, sovereignty over East Jerusalem is Palestinian, and the guardianship on Muslim and Christian holy sites is Hashemite, and the protection of Jerusalem is an Arab-Muslim responsibility," he said.
The foreign minister emphasized that protecting the historical and legal situation in Jerusalem is also an international responsibility because any attack on this situation will threaten the security and stability in the region.
According to Safadi, the talks also dealt with the Syrian crisis and ways to reach a political solution to it and the Syrian refugee crisis, which represents a global crisis borne by Jordan on behalf of the international community. He thanked Poland for its support for the Kingdom's efforts to meet the needs of Syrian refugees.
The Polish Foreign Minister stressed his country's commitment to developing bilateral cooperation in many fields. "We see the potential for Poland to provide technical assistance and transfer of technology in the energy and transport sectors, the production of agricultural machinery and the agro-food industry, medical equipment, science, research and cultural exchange," he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the increase in the number of Polish tourists to Jordan thanks to direct flights from Warsaw and Krakow to Amman.
Czaputowicz expressed Poland's deep appreciation for Jordan's constructive role in the region and valued its efforts to maintain the two-state solution in the Middle East peace process. He said Warsaw firmly believes that resolving this issue through a peaceful negotiated settlement is necessary to stabilize the Middle East.
He added that Poland "continues to support the Jordanian society, which faces many challenges." Over the past four years, Polish aid has launched about 20 aid programs worth about one million euros, not only to the refugees but also to the Jordanians who help them," he said.
18/05/2019 20:48:05
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