Jordan Times
Monday, May 31, 1999
Jordan remains committed to peace treaty with Israel, prime minister says
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Abdur-Ra'uf S. Rawabdeh on Sunday said Jordan remains committed to its 1994 peace treaty with Israel and seeks the establishment of a comprehensive and regional peace.
In an address at the opening of the second conference on Jordan's foreign policy at the Applied Science University, Rawabdeh said Jordan will remain committed to the peace treaty and will pursue its role in contributing towards the attainment of a comprehensive peace.
Jordan will continue to support Syria and Lebanon in reaching a just peace that guarantees Israel's withdrawal from all the land it has occupied since the 1967 war and is committed to removing all obstacles in the path of comprehensive peace, said Rawabdeh.
Referring to the Palestinians, Rawabdeh said Jordan will fully back their quest to regain their legitimate rights and will continue to work towards ensuring stability and security for the whole region.
Peace for Jordan is a strategic option, and the Kingdom believes this goal can be achieved on the basis of exchanging land for peace and the restoration of the Palestinian people's rights in establishing an independent state in Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, he said.
According to the prime minister, Jordan, which draws on the principles of the Great Arab Revolt, deals with all Arab countries on an equal footing and maintains strong ties with them based on common interests.
Jordan is also seeking to strengthen its economic and political ties with Turkey and Iran, two Islamic states with which Jordan has good relations based on mutual respect and common interests, Rawabdeh said.
At the opening of the two-day meeting, organised by the university in conjunction with the Institute of Diplomacy and the Jordanian Political Science Society, several speakers took the floor discussing the Middle East question, Jordan's political developments since the 1920s, the moderate policies followed by the Kingdom since its independence and the country's relations with Arab and foreign countries.