Statement by Foreign Minister Kasoulides after his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart
Your Excellency,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with profound joy that I welcome His Excellency Mr. Ayman Safadi Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Cyprus today.
Dear Ayman,
This visit takes place in the context of our ongoing bilateral coordination. We reviewed the entire spectrum of our cooperation / bilateral and trilateral, and exchanged views on the next steps that lie ahead to further enhance our excellent ties, in view of the upcoming Trilateral Heads of State Summit to be held in Cyprus during the second semester of 2022.
Naturally, a large part of our discussion was devoted to the dramatic events in Ukraine, the worrisome situation in Jerusalem, the Middle East Peace Process, the latest developments in our region and the Cyprus Issue.
Most importantly, I had the opportunity to warmly welcome His Majesty’s proposal to station Jordanian firefighting aircraft in Cyprus during the fire-season.
We all agree that the situation in Ukraine is deeply worrying with repercussions ranging from food insecurity in the Middle East and shockwaves to the world economy.
With Ayman we focused of course on the worrisome situation in Jerusalem and I commended Jordan’s continuous efforts for de-escalation. I would like in this context to reaffirm Cyprus’ full support for upholding the status quo of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship and acknowledge Jordan’s commitment to secure all religions’ right to the freedom of worship.
It is imperative that the fragile stability in the Old City of Jerusalem is safeguarded in order to avoid a new spiral of violence.
As regards to the Middle East Peace Process, I reaffirmed Cyprus’ firm support to efforts for assisting the relaunch of a process aiming at direct and meaningful negotiations for a comprehensive and lasting peace settlement, based on a two – states solution, in line of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and internationally agreed parameters.
We also took stock of the current state of affairs regarding EU-Jordan relations. We are pleased that the EU – Jordan Association Council has been confirmed to take place on June 2nd in Jordan and I will do my best to attend. As the closest EU member state to the region, we believe that we act as the connecting link with the EU, not only for Jordan but also for the entire region.
I also briefed my colleague on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue.
Once again, Foreign Minister Safadi, dear Ayman, thank you very much for your visit and I look forward to continuing our productive cooperation.
