New York, Sep.27 (Petra) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi took part in the annual coordination meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states.
The event was held Friday on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In his speech, Safadi urged the international community to take action to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza, stop the dangerous Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank, and end Israel's attacks in the region, which threaten regional and international security and peace.
Safadi also said protecting Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif and Islamic and Christian holy sites, and preserving Jerusalem's Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity, is a "Jordanian priority." In this context, he referred to His Majesty King Abdullah II devotes all the Kingdom's capabilities, based on the historic Hashemite Custodianship of these holy sites.
Safadi underlined important role of the Jordan-run Jerusalem Awqaf and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs Department, affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Holy Places, as the legal entity with exclusive jurisdiction to administer all affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
Jordan will continue to confront and document Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, and keep the OIC informed of them on an ongoing basis, he pointed out.
Safadi noted protecting Jerusalem and its holy sites and confronting Israeli violations there is a collective responsibility, calling for taking collective action by OIC member states to protect occupied Jerusalem's holy sites.
Safadi also continued his bilateral meetings with his Arab and foreign foreign minister counterparts, as well as UN and international officials.
Safadi held extensive discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, focusing on ways to strengthen friendly bilateral relations and cooperation and developments in the region.
Discussing the region's developments, the duo stressed the need for concerted efforts to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and implement a prisoner exchange agreement that would end the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe caused and exacerbated by the Israeli aggression.
On the needed action, the two ministers stressed the need to allow sufficient and sustainable aid into Gaza's various parts and halt the dangerous Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank and the region.
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