Japan will not relocate embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: Minister

Japan will not relocate its embassy from Israel's Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has said.

In talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Kono on Tuesday said that Tokyo considers Jerusalem as one of the final status issues that need to be settled through direct negotiations.

Kono reiterated Japan's support for the two-state solution and the need to reactivate efforts in this regard, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also voiced appreciation for Jordan's efforts to attain peace in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump's decision to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem violates international law and UN resolutions, said Safadi.

He called for intensified efforts on an international level to facilitate the two-state solution that ensures the creation of an independent state of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.

In 1967, Israel took over East Jerusalem from Jordan and declared the whole city as its "eternal indivisible capital" in 1980. However, it has not been recognised by the international community.

Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki has said during his meeting with Kono on Tuesday that Trump's decision was "null and void" and in contradiction with the international law.

He added that the Palestinian issue was a central issue in the Middle East. Japan's support for Jordan, which hosts more than 1.3 million Syrian refugees, was also discussed.

--IANS

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