UPDATE - Jordan Appreciates Russia's Support For Palestinian Statehood - Foreign Minister

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th April, 2019) Amman appreciates Moscow's support for Palestinians' aspirations to create their own state with a capital in East Jerusalem, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in an interview with the Russian Izvestiya newspaper, published on Thursday.

Jordan welcomes Russia's refusal to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate its embassy to the city, according to the foreign minister.

Both Jordan and Russia were interested in the settlement of middle Eastern crises, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Safadi told the outlet.

The top diplomat insisted that only the creation of a full-fledged Palestinian state could bring peace to the Middle East.

Safadi also recalled that Moscow and Amman had strong relations based on mutual trust and transparency, expressing hope that these ties would become stronger over the years.

Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been refusing to recognize Palestine as a state and has been defying UN resolutions calling on it to withdraw from the areas it has been occupying since the 1967 Six-Day war.

The global community has been seeking to settle the conflict via the so-called two-state solution which implies the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine, on the disputed territories.

The United States and a number of other countries have recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, exacerbating tensions in the area. The United Nations, however, insisted that the city's legal status should be settled before embassies could be relocated there.

When asked if Jordan supported Russia's efforts to settle the Syrian crisis, Safadi noted that Moscow played a crucial role in the conflict settlement, saying Amman did not see any solution to the crisis without Russia's involvement.

Safadi reiterated the Arab states' position that there should only be the political solution to the conflict, which requires all parties to consult each other and coordinate their efforts with Russia.

The top diplomat noted that the Syrian crisis should be resolved on the basis of the UNSC resolution 2254, calling for preserving Syria's territorial integrity and ensuring the security of all the country's citizens.

Russia has been backing the Syrian authorities' anti-terrorism activities and has been one of the guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire, engaged in the Astana-format talks on the crisis settlement. Moreover, Russia supports Damascus' efforts to rebuild the country devastated by the war.