New York, Sep (Petra) His Majesty King Abdullah II, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, on Sunday met with heads of state and government, and leaders of international organisations participating in the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.
During meetings with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, His Majesty discussed key developments in the region, particularly in relation to the Palestinian issue.
The King called for stepping up international efforts to achieve a comprehensive calm in the Middle East, stressing that stability in the region cannot be achieved without Palestinians obtaining their legitimate rights and establishing their independent state, on the basis of the two-state solution.
His Majesty commended Australia and Portugal’s recognition of the state of Palestine.
The King warned of the dangerous consequences of Israel’s expansion of its ground operations in Gaza, which aim to displace Palestinians from their land, asserting the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and to ensure the unimpeded flow of sufficient relief aid to all areas of the Strip.
His Majesty highlighted the dangers of unilateral measures in the West Bank and the expansion of settlements there.
The meetings also touched on the situation in Jerusalem, Syria, and Lebanon.
During a meeting with European Council President António Costa, the King affirmed Jordan’s commitment to continuing to build on the strategic partnership with the European Union and expanding its benefits across various fields, and expressed pride in the strong friendship between the two sides.
His Majesty also met with Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Cindy McCain to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Jordan and the WFP, particularly in securing the food needs of Syrian refugees and host communities.
The meeting covered the international response efforts to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh attended the meetings.
//Petra// AF
