Amman: Senate President Faisal Fayez discussed on Monday with Cedric Perrin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Armed Forces Committee in the French Senate, various aspects of relations between Jordan and France and regional developments.
Fayez underscored the deep ties between Jordan and France, which are rooted in mutual respect and cooperation to advance common interests.
He noted ongoing contacts between His Majesty King Abdullah II and French President Emmanuel Macron, underscoring their mutual commitment to enhancing relations across various sectors and promoting regional security and stability.
Despite regional challenges, Fayez stressed Jordan’s resilience and commitment to comprehensive reforms in political, economic, and administrative domains.
He pointed to the economic strains posed to Jordan by regional turmoil, particularly the burden of hosting approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees, adding that the Kingdom bears 80 percent of the associated costs.
The Senate head also urged
more French investments in Jordan, leveraging the country’s favorable climate for business, particularly in technology, tourism, renewable energy, public transport, and water sectors. He also thanked France for its support of Jordan.
Addressing the Palestinian issue, Fayez stressed that lasting security and stability hinges on finding a solution to the Palestinian issue and attaining a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution leading to a palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He condemned the Israeli occupation and ongoing atrocities against the Palestinian people, particularly the escalation after October 7, which went on with the brutal genocide in Gaza and violence in the occupied West Bank.
Voicing concern over international silence on Israeli war crimes, Fayez urged countries standing with the “racist” Israeli state, human rights institutions and international organizations to take prompt action to support the rights and dignity of oppressed people.
He lamented the
staggering toll of Palestinian casualties, with an estimated 35,000 deaths and 80,000 injuries, most of them are women and children, as well as thousands missing and buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Fayez pointed to the heavy toll on the lives and livelihoods of two million Palestinians in Gaza, with the infrastructure, including hospitals, places of worship, schools, and water sources, taking the brunt of indiscriminate bombings.
He decried the displacement of approximately one and a half million Palestinians, highlighting the plight of refugees in Rafah in the midst of widespread destruction, and also condemned the targeting of journalists, doctors, and humanitarian workers.
Despite mounting international calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the provision of humanitarian aid, Israel remains recalcitrant, perpetuating a policy of systematic deprivation and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, Fayez said.
He denounced the international community’s passive response, adding that mere cond
emnation is well short of addressing the grave violations of international law and human rights by the Israeli occupation forces.
For his part, the head of the French delegation reiterated France’s commitment to bolstering relations with Jordan across political, economic, and investment sectos. He noted His Majesty King Abdullah’s tireless efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, emphasizing a two-state solution for lasting security and stability in the region.
Source: Jordan News Agency