Jordan Times
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
King in new Mideast
peace push
AMMAN (JT) — King Abdullah on Tuesday left for the UK and the US on a
several-day visit in a new bid to push for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict.
The King will today hold talks in London with Prime Minister Tony Blair before
travelling to the US, where he will meet with President George W. Bush and
address a joint session of the Congress.
The Monarch will seek ways to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations in
line with a two-state solution, as well as support for the 2002 Arab Peace
Initiative for a comprehensive solution to the conflict.
Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are keen on reviving the initiative that offered
Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for the return of territory occupied by
the Jewish state in the 1967 war.
King Abdullah visited Cairo on Sunday and Riyadh on Monday to consult with the
Egyptian and Saudi leaders on a common Arab strategy to put the peace process
back on track.
He will focus on the Arab initiative in an address to the US Congress on March
7, after talks with Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice.
In Washington, he will highlight the important US role to overcome difficulties
undermining efforts to secure tangible progress in the peace process.
On Saturday, King Abdullah said a Palestinian unity government should adhere to
conditions set by the Quartet of Mideast peace mediators — the US, the EU, the
UN and Russia.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah and French President Jacques Chirac discussed over the
telephone developments in the Middle East, stressing the need to revive the
peace process. The King underlined French and EU roles in relaunching the
process.