Minister of Foreign Affairs visiting Jordan

The visit was also aimed at further strengthening Norwegian-Jordanian cooperation on a range of topics – among others humanitarian, political, and economic.

“Jordan has an essential strategic role in the region, and is a close partner for Norway. Not least, this encompasses the process of solving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly the Jerusalem-issue”, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

During her stay in Jordan, the Minister visited the Azraq refugee camp, and met with her Jordanian counterpart Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi. The two Ministers discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in the region. They both underlined the significance of Norwegian-Jordanian cooperation in the peace-process for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution. In addition, the Ministers discussed the humanitarian situation on the Gaza Strip as well as the challenges of the UNRWA in facing financial difficulties.

Safadi and Eriksen Søreide also covered the war on terrorism and Jordan’s unique position in the context of the Syrian crisis and the Jordanian effort to host and assist more than a million Syrian refugees. As well as the humanitarian burden, Jordan also plays a vital role in combating terrorism and radicalism. The Ministers stressed the need for a political solution to end the civil war in Syria.