Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya Meets with His Austrian Counterpart in Vienna
As part of the visit of Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya to the Republic of Austria, Al-Faraya met today in Vienna with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. Discussions were held between the two parties, which addressed bilateral relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Austria, and discussed ways to support the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their countries of origin.
These discussions resulted in enhancing security cooperation and strengthening relations between the Jordanian and Austrian Ministries of Interior, as well as agreement on areas of joint cooperation and coordination. During the meeting, Minister Al-Faraya reviewed Jordan's significant role in hosting Syrian refugees over the past fourteen years, whose number has exceeded one million and four hundred thousand. He emphasized the ongoing royal directives to provide all forms of support to our Syrian brothers and sisters, and the nature of the services that Syrian refugees in the Kingdom actually enjoy, free of charge and comprehensive, particularly in the areas of education, health, and social services, as these are essential services in any country that values ​​humanitarian values. He emphasized that Jordan supports the voluntary return of Syrian refugees and provides all appropriate conditions and climates for this.
Minister Al-Faraya also expressed the Kingdom's gratitude to the European Union and the Republic of Austria for the support provided to Syrian refugees in the region.
In a related context, the discussions addressed the need to reduce illegal immigration, and considered providing support and strengthening development requirements in countries of origin (the source of immigration) as effective means to curb this migration. Minister Mazen Al-Faraya also stressed the importance of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking and the impact of this scourge on the region and the world as a whole. This requires unifying international efforts and enhancing cooperation between anti-drug agencies and law enforcement agencies in various countries to control this crime.
From this perspective, an agreement was reached between the Jordanian and Austrian Ministries of Interior to enhance cooperation between the Public Security Directorate and the Austrian Federal Police in areas of mutual interest and in the exchange of information.
For his part, Austrian Interior Minister Karner praised the Kingdom's pivotal role in stabilizing the region, stressing the need to provide support and assistance to countries in the region. He also commended the efforts made by the Kingdom since the outbreak of the war in Syria, and its pivotal role in receiving Syrian refugees and providing them with humanitarian services.
The Austrian Minister also noted his visit to Jordan in March, where he was briefed on the conditions of Syrian refugees in camps and the quality of services provided to them.