Jordan Times
Sunday, March 6, 2005
Mulki holds talks with PA leader, Shalom
'We will not forget the prisoners'
Agencies
Foreign Minister Hani Mulki arrived in Israel
Saturday on the first visit by such a senior official since the outbreak of
Israeli-Palestinian violence more than four years ago, urging both sides to
press ahead quickly to a peace deal.
Mulki's trip comes shortly after Amman returned its ambassador to Israel and is
another sign of the improving relations between the two countries since a
February 8 summit in Egypt where the Palestinian and Israeli leaders pledged to
end their fighting.
Speaking after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom, Mulki said
the only way to end decades of violence is a comprehensive peace deal between
the Israelis and Palestinians.
"We have to stop the terror right away, we have to make peace right away," he
said, adding that peace between Israel and the Palestinians would quickly lead
to peace for Israel with other Arab states.
"Everybody has to know that peace pays," he said.
Mulki said he would pass on information to Israel about progress made by the
Palestinians since the summit.
"I am taking information to Israel about what the Palestinians have implemented
since then, and about what Israel must do if they want to continue the peace
process and have peace in all the region," he said before going to Israel.
On Sunday, Mulki is to meet Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Deputy Prime Minister
Shimon Peres and Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz for talks which he said would
focus on how "to bring the peace treaty and the agreements between Jordan back
into action."
Shalom said he had been invited to Jordan and would travel there within "two or
three weeks." Israel welcomed the visit as a chance to further boost relations
with Jordan.
Mulki's visit is "another important opportunity to improve, strengthen and
further the bilateral relations, which are good and cover a wide range of common
interests," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
A senior Israeli official said the visit would reinforce "bilateral relations."
"We share our longest border with Jordan and we want to bring this country into
efforts to relaunch the peace process with the Palestinians," the official said.
Mulki had been expected to raise with Shalom Jordan's position on final status
issues in the Arab-Israeli peace process such as borders, Palestinian refugees,
the holy city of occupied Jerusalem and water resources.
He said he would also demand the release of some 25 Jordanian prisoners from
Israeli jails.
"There is no bargaining over this issue," he said.
"Every prisoner occupies a paramount importance in our hearts. We cannot speak
... with Sharon ... without raising this issue. We will not forget the
prisoners."
Mulki travelled first to the West Bank city of Ramallah to meet with Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas. The two discussed security cooperation.
He said the Palestinians had expressed willingness to receive a contingent of
Jordanian-trained Palestinian security officers to help patrol the northern West
Bank after Israel withdraws from four settlements there later this year.
Israel has had reservations over their deployment, which it sees as tantamount
to the return of Palestinian refugees.
"It is a Palestinian force and it is well trained ," he said at a news
conference. The Palestinian Authority would like it to come back and we would
like facilitate that."
In 1994, Jordan became the second Arab country, after Egypt, to sign a peace
treaty with Israel.
Jordan, together with Egypt, has been instrumental in trying to bring the
Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.