Foreign Affairs Minister holds talks with Jordanian Prime Minister

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella today held talks with the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdullah Ensour and Speaker of the Lower House, Atef Tarawneh.

Vella will leave Jordan this evening to proceed to Gaza.

According to a government statement, Ensour welcomed the revived relations between Malta and Jordan, as evidenced by the signing of three bilateral agreements yesterday.

He thanked Malta for the role it plays in bringing Jordan's challenges to important discussions in the European Union and other regional and international institutions.

Vella referred to Jordan as a force of moderation in a region plagued by instability and conflict. Ensour thanked Malta for its commitment to interfaith and intercultural dialogue, in the face of growing radicalisation.

The Middle East Peace Process featured extensively in the discussions, particularly the developments on the ground that are not conducive to a peace based on a Two State Solution. 

Inter-parliamentary relations, on the other hand, were the focus of talks between Vella and the Speaker of the Lower House, with the two sides expressing their intention to further intensify contacts on both the bilateral and regional levels.

Jordan presently holds the Southern co-Presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean of which Malta is also an active member.

 Vella also held discussions on regional developments at the Jordanian Institute for Diplomatic Studies in Amman, which was set up in 1994 and nowadays forms an integral part of the Jordanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On Sunday Vella commenced an official visit in the Middle East with discussions in Jordan. Vella held discussions with the Foreign Minister of Jordan, Nasser Judeh on the situation in the region, particularly in neighbouring Syria.

Vella commended the efforts made by the Government and people of Jordan to host close to 1.4 million refugees who fled Syria over the past three years.

The two Ministers also discussed the situation in Libya, the latest developments concerning the Middle East Peace Process, as well as the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism worldwide.

Jordan’s relations with the European Union were also raised with the two Ministers reiterating their commitment to their further consolidation in the coming months.

Judeh thanked Malta for the important role it plays within the European Union in ensuring that events in the Mediterranean and the Middle East remain on the fore of the international agenda.

The Ministers signed three bilateral agreements concerning cooperation between the Ministries for Foreign Affairs of the two countries, the waiver of visas for diplomatic passports and the cooperation in combating crime and illicit trafficking of drugs.

Vella also visited the Al Za’atri Refugee Camp close to the Syrian border, which hosts close to 80,000 refugees from war-torn Syria.

Vella held lengthy discussions with UNHCR and Jordanian officials managing the Camp, who gave a very thorough rendition of the pressing challenges being met in addressing the needs of the refugees.

The minister is accompanied by Leonard Sacco, Chief of Staff and Helga Mizzi, Director General at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.