Pope, Jordanian king agree: negotiation 'the only option' for Syria

August 29, 2013

Pope Francis met on August 29 with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and the two agreed that negotiation is “the only option” that will resolve the continuing conflict in Syria.

In a joint statement, the Pope and the Jordanian ruler said that “the path of dialogue and negotiation between all components of Syrian society, with the support of the international community, is the only option to put an end to the conflict and to the violence that every day causes the loss of so many human lives, especially amongst the helpless civilian population.”

Pope Francis and King Abdullah also spoke about the need to resume negotiations between Israel and Palestine, with a particular focus on resolving the status of Jerusalem. The Pope praised Abdullah for his efforts to promote inter-religious dialogue, especially through a conference that will be held in Amman in September, on the difficulties facing the Christian minorities in the nations of the Middle East.

 

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Further information:

• In Syria dialogue is the only option (L’Osservatore Romano)
• Pope: dialogue and negotiations "only option" to stop the conflict in Syria (AsiaNews)