Jordan’s King Abdullah and French President Jacques Chirac Monday stressed the need to exert every possible effort, both regionally and internationally, to calm the situation in the Palestinian territories and bring the peace process back on track, reported Jordan’s official news agency, Petra.
During a bilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace, King Abdullah and President Chirac agreed that there was no alternative other than the realization of lasting and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy and meeting the rights of parties in the Middle East region.
During the meeting, the king affirmed the need for an effective role by the European Union in the peace process, adding that every concerned country should contribute in the spirit of teamwork to surmount the current crisis facing the peace talks.
King Abdullah also affirmed the necessity for the United States to play an effective role in the peace process, which, the king added, should lead to a lasting and comprehensive peace that could bring back the rights of the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese.
The agency added that King Abdullah and President Chirac discussed a number of regional issues, including the situation in Iraq, where the king stressed the need to lift the sanctions on Iraq.
For his part, President Chirac noted his country’s concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East region.
The Jordanian-Egyptian initiative is the only available solution for the crisis, Chirac said.
The initiative has gained the support of international parties, but Israel has asked for changes that Jordan and Egypt rejected on Sunday.
In reply to a question at a joint press conference, King Abdullah said " the Jordanian-Egyptian initiative came to fill up a political vacuum and it is being strongly accepted by the EU and the US, and even in Israel there is acceptance of many of the presented issues."
The king, who arrived in France earlier in the day, met with French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and discussed economic cooperation between Jordan and France, said Petra. Abdullah will leave for Austria on Tuesday – Albawaba.com
