Jordan Times
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Amman, Riyadh reject 'unilateral solutions’ for peace
RIYADH (AFP) — King Abdullah and Saudi King Abdullah on Wednesday slammed Israel’s “unilateral solutions” for peace, urging Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace talks, an official said.
“The two monarchs stressed their rejection of unilateral solutions which Israel is trying to implement in the Palestinian territories,” said an official accompanying the King on a two-day visit to Riyadh.
King Abdullah, accompanied by Queen Rania, started Wednesday a visit to Saudi Arabia for talks with senior officials, on the eve of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The Israeli leader won elections in March on a pledge to set his country’s final borders by 2010, unilaterally in case of failure to agree with the Palestinians. That prompted concerns around the Arab world.
Amman and Riyadh yesterday called for a resumption of the peace process in line with the roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative drawn up by Saudi Arabia in 2002, the Jordanian official told AFP.
They also called on Palestinian factions to “discard disputes and protect national unity,” he added, in reference to clashes between the former ruling Fateh movement and the government led by the Islamist movement Hamas.
King Abdullah’s visit to Saudi Arabia was the latest in a flurry of Arab diplomatic moves, which analysts say are aimed at reviving peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to head off Israeli plans for a unilateral deal.
Last week, the Saudi monarch and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on Hamas to adopt the Arab plan to normalise ties with Israel.
Israel’s prime minister is due in Amman on Thursday for talks with the King.
The two leaders warned that economic sanctions imposed on Palestinians would lead to a humanitarian crisis. They also discussed mechanisms to channel aid to the Palestinians and help ease their suffering and harsh living conditions.
King Abdullah and the Saudi monarch expressed support for a negotiated solution to Iran’s standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.
They “reiterated their countries’ position which calls for resolving Iran’s nuclear issue through dialogue and diplomacy,” the official said.
On bilateral relations, the two sides said they were keen to enhance cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
King Abdullah said he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s assistance to Jordan, according to Petra.