Macron and King Abdullah discuss Israel-Palestine, Syria in Paris

PARIS - 19 December 2017: French President Macron and Jordanian King Abdullah met for talks in Paris on Tuesday, with a particular focus on the Israel-Palestine situation and the situation in Syria.

Macron noted that “this visit takes place against a critical backdrop for the region, so we discussed at length regional issues. First, the situation of Israel and Palestine, and secondly Syria.”

On the former, the French president said that “peace can only exist through negotiation between both parties, that we can assist in facilitating, that we can assist in bringing about, but that we cannot replace, and in that context it’s vital that we put in place a political process.”

Meanwhile, in light of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Jordanian king emphasised that “Jerusalem matters to Christians and Muslims”, while describing Trump’s policy as “against international law.”

On Syria, Macron stated that “we both share the resolve to bring about a political solution that is inclusive in Syria, allowing all parties to be fully represented and to build not just the integrity of Syria territory but also a lasting political solution.”