Jordan Times
Mnday, July 23, 2007
Jordan calls for jump-starting Middle East peace process
Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib on Sunday called for jump-starting the Mideast peace process, which, he said, should lead
to the creation of a viable Palestinian state in line with a specific timetable.
He told visiting Israeli Knesset Speaker Dahlia Itzik that there is a need to work out a just and lasting solution to the
Palestinian issue, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Khatib stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, and the importance of supporting Palestinian Authority’s efforts
to ease human suffering in the territories.
The top diplomat said he seeks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit to activate the Arab Peace Initiative
during a visit to Israel on Wednesday.
The Arab League has tasked Jordan and Egypt with discussing with the Jewish state the peace plan, which was initiated by
Saudi Arabia in 2002 and revived at the Riyadh Arab summit in March.
The plan offers Israel full normalised relations in return for withdrawing from Arab land occupied in 1967, the creation of
a Palestinian state and a return of refugees.
Khatib and Itzik also discussed a call by US President George W. Bush for a Middle East peace conference to be held later
this year, Israeli embassy spokesman Itai Bardov told Agence France-Presse.
Jordan has swiftly welcomed the proposal, in which Bush called for moderate Arab nations to reach out to Israel, shore up
beleaguered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and join an international conference to relaunch political progress.
King Abdullah will meet the US president at the White House on Tuesday for talks on renewed US efforts to push forward the
peace process.
Also Sunday, Itzik met in Amman with Abbas for talks on reviving the stalled Middle East peace process.
Bardov told AFP that the two met at Abbas’ residence, and it was “a very warm atmosphere”.
Abbas and Itzik arrived separately in Jordan for the meeting and the Palestinian president was accompanied by top
negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Itzik’s spokesman in Tel Aviv earlier told AFP the Knesset speaker’s talks in the Jordanian capital with Abbas and Khatib
would focus on “the means to jump-start peace initiatives in the region”.
Abbas also held talks with Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, who reiterated that Jordan is ready to help the Palestinians
overcome their difficult circumstances, according to Petra.
As part of the diplomatic flurry, Britain’s former prime minister and now special envoy of the international Middle East
Quartet Tony Blair will briefly visit Amman today to meet with Khatib, officials were quoted by AFP as saying.
Blair and Khatib will discuss “ways to reactivate the Middle East peace process”, during a visit lasting a few hours, they
added.
Blair’s visit follows a meeting last week in Lisbon of Quartet representatives from the UN, EU, US and Russia to evaluate
the latest developments in the region.
Meanwhile, Khatib met yesterday with Icelandic counterpart Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir on Middle East developments, Petra
reported.
He called for more international efforts to revive the peace process.
Khatib will also hold talks today with British Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells, whose one-day visit will include a
meeting with Interior Minister Eid Fayez.
Howells’ trip is part of a regional tour, which also includes Egypt and Libya