Barcelona: Foreign ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean member states welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza. In a joint statement issued by the co-presidency (the European Union and Jordan) at the 10th Regional Forum of UfM foreign ministers, the ministers stressed the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian aid, executing the second phase of the US plan, and establishing a serious political pathway to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.
According to Qatar News Agency, the ministers expressed their apprehension over the escalation in the occupied West Bank, reaffirming their opposition to Israeli unilateral measures, including annexation attempts and imposing sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories. They also rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank and opposed moves to build and expand settlements. The settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank was condemned, they stressed.
The statement called for respect for the legal and historic status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy places in Jerusalem, with the Hashemite custodianship over these sacred sites deemed indispensable. In addition, the ministers welcomed the full reintegration of Syria into the union and stressed the importance of supporting the Syrian government's efforts to rebuild Syria based on pillars ensuring its security, sovereignty, and unity.
They further underscored their support for the full implementation of the joint Jordanian-Syrian-US roadmap to resolve the crisis in As-Suwayda and uphold stability in southern Syria. The statement reaffirmed support for Lebanon's security, stability, and sovereignty, backing the Lebanese government's efforts to operationalize and empower the nation's institutions, emphasizing that weapons must remain under state control, and calling for strict adherence to the ceasefire.
On the other hand, the statement commended the "New Strategic Vision of Union for the Mediterranean-Reconnecting the Mediterranean Region: Returning to the Core, Moving Forward with Ambition," which focuses on strengthening bonds through education, mobility, research, and skill advancement. It also focuses on regional cooperation in energy, water security, commerce, investment, infrastructure, and digitization.