Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs, Nasser Judeh, held talks in New York with counterparts from a number of world countries on developments in the Middle East and efforts to address those challenges.
During his meeting with the foreign ministers of Algeria, New Zealand, Singapore and Austria, held on the sidelines of the 69th U.N. General Assembly, Judeh said the annual General Assembly is a key platform for countries to consult and coordinate on bilateral, regional and international issues of joint interest.
Judeh briefed the ministers about the intensive political efforts exerted by His Majesty King Abdullah II with world leaders to re-launch Palestinian-Israeli peace talks to set up an independent Palestinian state, bring about regional security and stability, address terrorism and counter extremist groups that threaten the region.
Judeh also discussed with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, Jordanian-U.S. ties and the situation in the Middle East and the importance of continued coordination and cooperation "in a manner that reflects the distinguished bilateral relations" in order to face challenges that beset the region.
The foreign minister also met with U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, for a discussion on latest developments in Syria, wherein he reiterated Jordan's firm stance in support of a political solution that preserves Syria's security and territorial unity with the participation of all Syrian people.
Judeh and the envoy also reviewed the humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis on Jordan, which had received hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, pointing out that the solution to the humanitarian crisis is tied to finding a political solution that guarantees the return of the refugees to their homeland.
De Mistura praised King Abdullah's efforts aimed at finding a solution to the Syrian situation and the humanitarian role undertaken by the Kingdom to provide services to refugees, stressing the importance of international help to Jordan in this regard.