Berlin: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi held extensive talks with German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul, focusing on ways to advance bilateral ties and on regional developments.
According to Jordan News Agency, Safadi and Wadephul reviewed progress made since their talks in Amman last month on expanding cooperation across key sectors, including water, investment, education, vocational training, tourism, and defence. Safadi praised the advanced level of relations between the two countries and Germany's continued support for Jordan in development projects and in dealing with regional crises.
The ministers also discussed regional developments and the latest situation in Gaza. Both stressed the need for concerted efforts to uphold the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, fully implement its provisions, ensure sufficient and immediate humanitarian access, and remove Israeli obstacles to aid entry, while linking stabilization efforts to a clear political horizon for a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
Safadi underscored the need to halt all illegal and unilateral Israeli measures that undermine prospects for a two-state solution and peace, particularly settlement construction and expansion, land confiscation, the strangling of the Palestinian economy, and attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo at Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
In a joint press conference with the German foreign minister, Safadi reaffirmed the strength of the 70-year friendship between Jordan and Germany, enhanced through multiple meetings between His Majesty King Abdullah II and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the strategic partnership that has yielded extensive cooperation. He noted that Germany is a key partner for Jordan, emphasizing Germany's efforts to help Jordan shoulder the burden of regional crises, including those related to refugees and security.
Safadi said Jordan looks forward to deeper cooperation that builds on these ties in ways that serve the interests of both countries and support shared objectives in achieving stability and peace in the region. He added that Jordan supports Germany's efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, stressing Jordan's commitment to a just peace in the Middle East, achievable only when the Palestinian people gain their freedom and their right to an independent, sovereign state under the two-state solution.
Safadi emphasized the immediate priority of consolidating the ceasefire reached through significant efforts after U.S. President Donald Trump launched his plan. He stressed that stabilizing the ceasefire and allowing the entry of humanitarian aid are top priorities, noting the immense humanitarian catastrophe despite slight improvement in aid access.
Safadi stated that Israel has recorded over 500 violations of the ceasefire, with nearly 340 Palestinians killed since the agreement was signed. He highlighted that more than 90 percent of Gaza's population depends on aid, with most receiving only one meal a day, and stressed the necessity of lifting Israeli restrictions to allow aid access.
Safadi highlighted the importance of linking Gaza and the West Bank and preventing an explosion in the West Bank, warning of the dangerous escalation there. He also addressed settler violence and reiterated the need to halt settlement activity and violations at holy sites, reaffirming Jordan's custodianship role.
Turning to Syria, Safadi said Jordan and Germany align on Syria's situation, emphasizing the importance of Syria's stability for the region. On Lebanon, he stressed respect for its sovereignty and the need to halt escalation.
Minister Wadephul affirmed the strength of German-Jordanian relations and praised Jordan's humanitarian role in Gaza. He emphasized that Gaza is an integral part of the West Bank and a core component of the future Palestinian state under the two-state solution.
Safadi also engaged with the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, discussing bilateral ties and regional developments. He participated in a panel at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, emphasizing the need for a just peace based on an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Safadi underscored the importance of stabilizing the ceasefire, enabling humanitarian access, and restoring hope, and highlighted Jordan's "Restore Hope" initiative to support amputees in Gaza. He reiterated that Gaza is part of the occupied Palestinian territory linked to the West Bank, forming the land for the Palestinian state.
During his Berlin visit, Safadi met with State Secretary Niels Annen and participated in a session on Jordan's geopolitical role in the Middle East.