Jordan Times
Monday, January 10, 2005
King meets Solana, says poll step towards peace
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah said Sunday the landmark Palestinian presidential election was a positive step towards enabling the leadership to rebuild the authority's institutions and resume peace negotiations with Israel.
In talks with visiting EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the King said the month of January holds many opportunities for peace and stability in the region that should be seized upon, Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Speaking to reporters, following his meeting with the King and Foreign Minister Hani Mulki, Solana expressed hope for a high turnout in the Palestinian voting that would result in the election of a president and a partner for peace with Israel.
He also pledged Europe's support for the revival of the moribund peace process. “I hope very much that by the end of the day, tonight, tomorrow morning we will have a president for the Palestinian Authority legitimised by a high turnout of people and, therefore, also an interlocutor for the peace process,” Solana told reporters in Amman before heading to Ramallah. Looking forward to a better future, Palestinians went to the poll Sunday to choose a successor to the late Yasser Arafat. “I think that these days are going to be days of optimism, days of hope [and] that a new avenue for peace will be open,” Solana said. He said the European Union would be at the disposal of the Palestinian president and the government by all possible means, including political, economic and technical assistance. “I'm sure that both the Palestinians and Israelis will take advantage of this opportunity,” he added. Solana, arrived here Saturday evening as part of a weeklong tour of the region.
The tour is meant to underscore the EU's political engagement in the Middle East and its commitment to the peace process. Expecting front-runner Mahmoud Abbas to win the election and nominate Ahmed Qureia as prime minister, the diplomat said both are well-known to all regional and international partners and are trusted. “We think both are people for peace,” Solana said. “Let's hope that the majority of the Palestinians want peace — that they want to finalise a process whereby they can live together in two states along with the Israelis,” he added. Solana is expected to hold talks with Abbas and Qureia today, and visit a polling station as well as the Palestinian Central Election Commission. He will also meet with European experts monitoring the process Sunday evening. He told reporters he expected that the upcoming conference in London, which is to focus on Palestinian reforms, will serve as an “an instrument” in readying Palestinians for independent statehood alongside Israel. “The objective [of the London conference] is to help the Palestinians to get prepared to assume the responsibilities of a new state,” he said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently announced plans to host a conference in London on March 1-2, focusing on Palestinian security, political and economic reforms. “They (the Palestinians) are going to have a state and, therefore, they need to adapt their structures to the new reality of a state and we are ready and willing to help them with that,” Solana added. Solana also hailed Jordan's efforts and its unwavering commitment in trying to revive the Middle East peace process. The EU official is to leave Ramallah for Egypt Tuesday and return to Gaza Wednesday, where he is to meet with the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, Peter Hansen. On Thursday, Solana is scheduled to travel to Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.