Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (R) meets with visiting Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, in Amman, Jordan, on April 24, 2024. Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said on Wednesday that his country is working with Jordan and the European Union to recognize the Palestinian state. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)
AMMAN, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said on Wednesday that his country is working with Jordan and the European Union to recognize the Palestinian state.
The visiting Irish minister made the remarks at a joint press conference in Amman with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, according to a statement by Jordan's Foreign Ministry.
"We are working with the European Union and Spain, in coordination with Jordan, to recognize the Palestinian state," Martin said, praising Jordan's efforts for solving the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
"We stand with Jordan in our full commitment to the two-state solution, and what is immediately needed is a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, an increase in humanitarian support to Gaza without any hindrance, and the removal of all obstacles to humanitarian aid," he stressed.
The Irish minister also praised Germany's decision to resume its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), urging other countries to "make a similar decision quickly."
For his part, Safadi said the number of Palestinian detainees now is "the highest in history" as Israel has arrested more than 3,500 Palestinian citizens since the start of the Gaza conflict.
He stressed that these actions push towards escalating conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Safadi also appreciated Ireland's continuous support to UNRWA, saying "Ireland provided additional support of around 20 million U.S. dollars to UNRWA in the past months, continuing its policy that has always been supportive of the agency."
The Jordanian minister stressed the importance of confronting Israel's attempts to liquidate the agency, pointing out that withholding funds and aid from UNRWA deprives thousands of Palestinians of their livelihoods and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who depend on it. ■
