New York, Sept. 25 (Petra) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Ayman Safadi participated in the ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

The meeting, organized by Saudi Arabia in its capacity as chair of the Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza, was held in cooperation with Norway and the European Union on the sidelines of the high-level meetings of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Safadi affirmed that the two-state solution is the only path to achieving a just peace that guarantees the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and statehood on their national land, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, while ensuring security and stability for all in the region, including Israel.

"Everyone now agrees that the two-state solution is the only path toward the secure future we want, but we all know we are facing an extremist Israeli government that does not want this peace," Safadi said.

He pointed to the Israeli Prime Minister’s insistence on preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, asking: "How do we confront this Israeli intransigence that deprives the entire region of its right to live in security and peace?" Safadi added, "Netanyahu wants to ignite the region, while we want to protect it and provide just peace for all its peoples." Highlighting recent developments, Safadi questioned: "What will the international community do about the new settlements announced by Netanyahu, which pose a serious threat to the two-state solution? What will it do if Netanyahu proceeds with annexing the West Bank as he threatens? What will it do if he continues to reject the establishment of a Palestinian state and just peace?" "It is time to move from words to action," he continued. "We must take deterrent measures that curb Israeli aggressiveness and allow us in the region to move toward just and lasting peace. The party depriving the region of peace must face consequences." Safadi stressed that Israel is depriving the region of its right to peace, warning: "This Israeli government is pushing the entire region toward the abyss. Therefore, we must adopt deterrent measures to protect us all from this danger." He cautioned that without such measures, "the chances of implementing the two-state solution will become even slimmer, as this extremist government continues to take actions that undermine peace and deny the region the right to live in security." Concluding his remarks, Safadi stated: "We must begin now to think about the practical and deterrent steps we will take together as an international community that believes peace lies in the two-state solution. If this is not the time to implement it due to the arrogance of the Israeli government, then it is the time to protect it. This is possible if we work together and adopt measures that deter this government." On the sidelines of the UN meetings, Safadi held bilateral talks with several foreign ministers, including UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot; Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Harris; Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani; Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita; Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže; Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman; and Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing coordination on regional developments.

Safadi also signed a memorandum of understanding with Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio to establish political consultations between the two ministries. In addition, he and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić signed an agreement to abolish visas for holders of diplomatic and official passports.

Separately, Safadi met with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, where they discussed ongoing cooperation on the Syrian refugee crisis and the impact of developments in Syria.

//Petra// RZ