Jordan Times
Monday, June 28, 2004
King, Burns talk Gaza
pullout
AMMAN (AFP) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday said a planned Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza must be the “starting point” of a pullout from the West
Bank.
“Israel's plan to withdraw from Gaza must be the starting point of a pullout
from the occupied West Bank,” King Abdullah told US Middle East envoy William
Burns during a meeting in Aqaba, according to a statement from the Royal Court.
“For this plan to be successful it must be part of the roadmap which calls for
the creation of an independent Palestinian state.”
Burns assured the King that the United States was determined to work to achieve
peace in the Middle East, adding that Israel's plan to withdraw from Gaza was a
“step” towards “lasting peace” between Israel and the Palestinians.
Earlier, Burns held talks in Amman with Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher on
moving forward peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians as well as the
Gaza pullout, officials said.
During the meeting, Muasher reiterated Jordan's readiness to back the
Palestinian Authority with all available means.
The US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs and former
ambassador to Jordan arrived Sunday in Amman from Ramallah, where he met
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.
“I expressed [US] President [George W.] Bush's determination to do everything
the United States can to help seize the opportunity presented by the Israeli
initiative to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank as part of the full
implementation of the roadmap, and ultimately, towards a negotiated two-state
solution,” Burns said after talks with Qureia.
On Thursday, Burns took part in a meeting of the international Middle East
diplomatic Quartet which endorsed Egypt's offer to underpin security in Gaza
after the promised Israeli pullout.
King Abdullah also accepted a formal request from Qureia to help train
Palestinian security forces for a future role in Gaza.
Burns has been touring the region for the past week, visiting Egypt, Israel, the
West Bank and Jordan. His next destination remained unclear.