Remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah II At G7 Outreach Session
“today’s war in Gaza will determine the future of stability and security in our region and that of Europe”.
Brindisi, Italy
14 June 2024
“In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Prime Minister Meloni,
Your Holiness, Pope Francis,
Your Excellencies,
My friends,
I would like to start by thanking Her Excellency, Prime Minister Meloni, for convening this outreach session at the G7 Summit. It is most fitting that we are here in Italy, in Apulia, where people of many cultures have met and lived and worked together for generations.
Truly, our regions are deeply interconnected. Transformational challenges have shaped our common history. Cooperation, innovation, and trade have built shared opportunity.
Jordan has strongly promoted partnerships across countries and regions. With friends, we are focused on sectors that are especially vital today—shared security threats, economic development, energy, climate change, technological advancements, and more.
We have been an active member, co-chairing the Union for the Mediterranean for several years since its founding. We have spearheaded the trilateral coordination mechanism with Cyprus and Greece to promote closer cooperation across the Mediterranean.
And through the Aqaba Process and other initiatives, we work with European and African partners, to counter terrorism and extremism.
My friends,
Failure to address today’s challenges carries significant risks to our regions and to the global community.
Refugee flows remain an urgent, multi-region concern, seriously impacting the countries of the Mediterranean. For nearly 13 years now, Jordan has been dealing with the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis. No end is in sight, and we are losing international attention. This trend is dangerous and the impact will not be limited to Jordan.
The future for youth and children, traumatised by the conflicts of the past decade and today’s war in Gaza, will determine the future of stability and security in our region and that of Europe.
The threat of terrorism is made more serious, when economic despair and disenfranchisement drive populations towards radicalisation. And with the growing threat of drugs and arms smuggling, and the proliferation of non-state armed groups, turning a blind eye to lingering crises is something neither Jordan nor the world can afford.
My friends,
Our regions’ oldest lingering threat is the continued occupation of the Palestinian Territory. I have repeatedly warned over the past 25 years of the dangers of ignoring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
We have failed to achieve the only true guarantee of security for Palestinians, Israelis, the region, and the world: a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.
Nowhere is this more evident than the catastrophe in Gaza, which has reached unprecedented proportions.
Once the real dimensions of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza are revealed, the world will stand ashamed.
This war has to end. Its continuation only sustains the crimes of war against the innocent. A permanent ceasefire must be enforced.
My friends,
Jordan earlier this week hosted an urgent international conference to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and ensure the sustained flow of much-needed assistance—creating a robust coordination mechanism; ensuring the availability of sufficient stockpiles of aid, adequate in quality and quantity; and providing effective logistical support to maximise the amount of relief to match needs on the ground.
It is also vital to support and empower UNRWA in all its areas of operation, in accordance with its UN mandate. Its lifeline of essential services to Palestinian refugees is indispensable—now more than ever. We salute relief workers’ dedication to their humanitarian role, their courage, and their sacrifice.
My friends,
When we look across the Mediterranean from our respective regions, we cannot ignore the tremendous opportunities to build the future our peoples want and need—opportunities to create new energy networks and renewable sources, opportunities for advanced cooperation in technology and innovation, opportunities to improve the wellbeing of all citizens through food and energy security, as well as employment and education.
One country alone cannot succeed. One region alone cannot thrive.
The sooner we act together, the greater the future we can build will be.
Thank you.”