Jordan’s king raises Palestine’s plight in talks with Macron

PARIS: France is committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron told Jordan’s King Abdullah during talks between the two leaders at the Elysee Palace.

Macron’s comments came a week before he is due to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Discussions between the French leader and King Abdullah centered on the Israeli-Palestinian question, the plight of Syrian refugees in Jordan and the country’s struggling economy.

Both leaders also highlighted the need for de-escalation in the conflict between Iran and the US, diplomatic sources told Arab News.

King Abdullah said that a political solution to the Syrian conflict is needed urgently.

Without an agreement on safe, voluntary repatriation, Jordan cannot put pressure on Syrian refugees to return to their country, he told Macron.

Since 2018 the number of Syrian refugees returning home had dwindled, he said, with 90 percent now living outside camps in cities and regional areas.

The Jordanian leader has called for international efforts to ensure refugees’ voluntary and safe return to their homeland, and is appealing to France to lead a European push for this solution.

King Abdullah urged France — Jordan’s biggest investor outside the Arab League — to increase investment in the country, saying that although its political and security situation is stable, the struggling economy “could lead to a crisis.” 

The two leaders agreed on the need for de-escalation between the US and Iran, both in public comments and on the ground, and also called for a consensus Iraqi government that will “protect the country, its unity and sovereignty.”

The Jordanian leader told Macron that the “fragile situation” in Lebanon must be addressed and a consensus government established as quickly as possible.