No direct contact with Iran regarding south Syria —FM

AMMAN — There is no direct contact between Jordan and Iran regarding safeguarding the northern borders, but the Kingdom is taking all necessary steps to protect its interests, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The minister said that protecting the Kingdom’s northern borders is a priority and that the country’s armed forces and security agencies are capable, qualified and fully equipped for the task. 

“We do all that is necessary to achieve this goal, including our international efforts,” Safadi said, referring to the Geneva and Astana frameworks and Jordan’s coordination with other Arab countries.

Safadi stressed, however, that there “is no direct contact with Iran in this regard”, but that both Jordan and Iran attended the Astana meeting and that Jordan will do “whatever is necessary in order to protect our national interests and to safeguard our northern borders”.

The minister made his remarks at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.  

Meanwhile, Safadi said both Jordan and Egypt coordinate on regional issues and concerns, including the Palestinian cause and Syrian crisis, in the hope of further bolster cooperation to better serve the interests of the two countries.

Prior to the conference, both ministers discussed preparations for the Arab summit that will be hosted in Jordan at the end of March.

Safadi said they also discussed the large number of Egyptian workers in Jordan and decisions taken on this issue, noting that  the Kingdom recently moved to regulate the foreign labour market and ensure guest workers’ legal rights.

The minister also stressed that the Palestinian cause is still the key issue for Jordan and that the Kingdom rejects and denounces any act that might affect the status quo and threaten the Arab identity of the occupied territories.

Jordan condemns the expansion of Israeli settlements and considers them illegal and a threat to efforts to bring about peace in the region, Safadi said.

In response to a question about any Syrian participation in the Arab summit, the minister reiterated that, as host of the summit, Jordan is committed to the Arab League’s decisions regarding its member states.

He stressed, however, that Jordan exerts all diplomatic efforts to contribute to ending the Syrian crisis, with the Kingdom’s attendance in Astana as part of these efforts to achieve a complete ceasefire in Syria, especially in southern Syria.

Syria was excluded from the Arab League at an emergency session of the league in November 2011 in Cairo, over Damascus’ failure to end the conflict.

The league also agreed to impose economic and political sanctions on Syria due to its refusal to stop the violence, and appealed to its member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus.

The minister also reiterated that His Majesty King Abdullah, in his recent visit to Washington, spoke about Jordan’s position regarding important issues,  among them the US embassy’s possible move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the negative impact  such a decision could have on regional peace and stability. 

For his part, the Egyptian minister said both his country and Jordan share similar views regarding common issues of concern, including the Syrian crisis and the expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In response to a question about  Saudi-Egyptian bilateral ties, Shoukry said that relations between the two countries are deep-rooted and communication continues between them.

“We are keen to maintain these relations and to communicate to achieve common goals and bolster ties between the two countries,” the minister said.