Petra News Agency
Saturday, February 3, 2007

FM: Jordan regrets Palestinian infighting

Amman, Feb.3(Petra)—Foreign Minister Abdul Illah Khatib said in a lecture delivered in Future Builders Foundation in Amman entitled/ The Middle East at Present/, Jordan’s foreign policy fully enjoys harmony between its interests as a state and as a country it preserves its and its citizens’ rights. He also added that Jordan defends the issues of Arab nations. Jordan, Foreign Minister added, positively contributes to solving these issues.

Khatib said: “There is an int’l consensus that the Palestinian issue is the core of the conflict in the Middle East”, he added the continued denial of Palestinian rights is a fire starter for global and regional crises, crises that are arising more frequently, with greater destruction.

Khatib added that the region will not achieve regional security until we focus on the core issue in the Middle East, an issue that has posed an ongoing challenge to international peace and order. And that is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Khatib called on the Palestinian factions to avert Palestinian civil war by putting aside their difference and unify there stance for the benefit of the national interests. He added Jordan regrets for the infighting between Palestinian factions.

On Iraq, Khatib noted that Iraq is an important part of this region that it can keep the equilibrium and stability in the region. He added that if Iraq is divided the balance will be shook and the region will lose the opportunity of stability.

On Lebanon, Khatib underlined the importance of national coexistence among Lebanese and it is not Arab nation’s interest to witness sectarian conflict any where in the Arab world.

Jordan, Khatib noted, deals with different issues forefront which is Palestinian issue from its keenness to serve the Arab capability to deal with these issues. He noted that states deal with such issues from their national interests. In this respect there is no contradiction between Jordanian national interest and serving the Palestinian issue, keenness on Iraq unity Iraq, and Lebanese unity.

On a response to a question on the Arab League initiative, Khatib remarked that Jordan extremely back it and all Arab countries support it.


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