Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi hosted a ministerial strategic dialogue in Stockholm, Friday, to discuss sustainable ways to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Participants included representatives from Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Norway, United Kingdom, the European External Action Service and the European Commission.

The meeting was attended by UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl, who presented UNRWA’s continued vital programs to assist over 5 million Palestinian refugees despite the financial challenges which the Agency faced in 2018.

Participants stressed that UNRWA’s programs are a critical component for regional development, stability and security in the interest of all.

They emphasized the importance of these programs in offering protection and vital development support to over 5.4 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and Gaza.