The foreign ministers of Jordan and Israel met for the third time. Jordan says the purpose of these meetings is the necessity of resuming peace talks between Israel and Palestinians. Jordan considers the formation of two independent neighboring states as the only solution to the Middle East crisis.
Aimen Safadi, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, and Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel’s Foreign Minister, held face-to-face talks on Tuesday, March 2 (12 Esfand).
This is the third meeting between the foreign ministers of Jordan and Israel in the past three months. The recent meeting, like previous meetings, took place near the Jordan River bridge, the country’s gateway to the West Bank.
According to a statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Safadi told Israel’s foreign minister that “serious and effective” talks between Israel and Palestinians should resume with the aim of forming two neighboring states. According to him, this is the only way to establish peace and stability in the Middle East.
The foreign ministers of the two countries consulted on recent developments in the region and at the international level, including with regard to the new U.S. administration which seeks to resume peace talks.
No direct talks between Israel and Palestinians have taken place in the past seven years.
The last time was in April 2014 when John Kerry, then U.S. Secretary of State, tried to revive peace talks, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
According to a statement from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Safadi told Israel’s foreign minister that settlement construction by the country in the West Bank should be halted. Because this “destroys all opportunities for reaching just peace”.
On the other hand, Ashkenazi said he discussed with Jordan’s foreign minister the development of trade and economic relations and expansion of civil cooperation with Jordan and Palestinians.
Gabi Ashkenazi wrote in a Twitter message: “We discussed issues such as trade, exports and imports, water, tourism and consular matters”.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv after Egypt.
Last year, the UAE and Bahrain, and later Sudan and Morocco, moved forward with Israel in normalizing their relations with Israel.
