Egypt, Jordan’s FMs affirm rejection to forced displacement of Palestinians out of their lands

CAIRO – 12 January 2025: On the sidelines of the high-level international meetings on Syria in Riyadh, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Ayman Safadi, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, on Sunday.

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the meeting has tackled the enhancement of Egyptian-Jordanian relations.

Both Ministers discussed regional issues of common interest, most notably the developments in Gaza, Khallaf added in a statement.

They agreed on the necessity of stopping the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and its blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law, and reaching an immediate ceasefire and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the Strip without any obstacles.

The two ministers stressed their categorical rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, whether in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. 

On the other hand, the two ministers discussed the latest developments in Syria. They addressed the principles governing the achievement of security and stability in Syria, most notably the necessity of respecting Syrian sovereignty and the unity and integrity of its territories, working together to combat all forms of terrorism and extremism, and the necessity of launching a comprehensive political process that preserves security and stability in Syria and meets the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people.

The Riyadh meetings, led by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Syria’s transitional government Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, include top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe.

Attendees comprise the foreign ministers of Egypt, Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Britain.

According to the joint communique, the meetings participants affirmed their support for Syria’s humanitarian situation and reconstruction and the importance of creating a good environment for the return of Syrian refugees.

They also affirmed – as per the communique read by Saudi Foreign Minister- that lifting unilateral and international sanctions imposed on Syria is a must as the continuation of sanctions could hinder the aspirations of the Syrian people. 

Additionally, they emphasized the importance of Syria not being a source of threats in the region, adding that the future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians.

Syria is currently grappling with instability following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's government on December 8.

World powers are now considering sanctions relief in light of the Syrian regime's collapse.

Assad’s reign ended following an offensive led by opposition fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is now Syria's de facto ruler.

This significant change marks the end of over five decades of Assad family rule.

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil