Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday asserted that the Kingdom supports a peaceful political solution in Syria.
In statements to the press on Thursday regarding comments he made in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) three days ago, Ensour stressed that Jordan will not take part in the war in Syria, reiterating that the Kingdom will not be a passage or launching ground for an attack in Syria, whether by land or air, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
“Our position in Jordan vis-à-vis the Syrian crisis has always been in support of a peaceful political solution, not a military one,” he told the press.
“We are keen on a secure and stable Syria,” the premier added.
“If a strike takes place, we will not be a part of it and will not be a partner in the attack. Jordan stresses the sanctity of Syrians’ blood and the need to avert the destruction and the demolition of Syria and its assets,” Ensour said, according to Petra.
In reply to a question on Jordan’s readiness to support a military strike against Syria, the premier dismissed claims made by the media that the Kingdom is preparing for an attack saying: “None of the officials have stated that. This matter is not true.”
The premier noted that Jordan has not trained any military troops to fight in Syria, highlighting that Jordan’s cooperation with the US is restricted to training Jordanian cadres to confront any operations that may involve a chemical war.
Also on Thursday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh met with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London and discussed bilateral relations as well as the latest regional developments, especially the Syrian crisis and Middle East peace negotiations.
Judeh briefed his British counterpart on the outcome of the recent meeting of the foreign ministers of Syria’s neighbouring countries in Geneva at the invitation of Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The meeting was meant to coordinate efforts and positions related to hosting Syrian refugees and to draw more international attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis of Syrian refugees and displaced persons.
Judeh expressed his appreciation for the UK’s continued support for Jordan in various fields, especially in relation to hosting Syrian refugees.
Hague commended the Jordanian efforts, led by His Majesty King Abdullah to achieve security and stability in the region, stressing Britain’s support and commitment to maintaining contacts with Jordan.
Hague said Britain realises the scale of the pressure on Jordan’s economy as a result of hosting Syrian refugees, stressing his country’s commitment to continuing to provide Jordan with assistance to help it address the refugee burden, according to Petra.
Judeh and Hague discussed the importance of an upcoming meeting of US Secretary of State John Kerry with an Arab ministerial delegation on Middle East peace negotiations.
The delegation, entrusted by the Arab League committee on the Arab Peace Initiative to contact the US administration, is scheduled to meet with Kerry in Paris on Sunday for coordination on developments related to peace negotiations.
