Jordan Times
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
King urges Israeli,
Palestinian calm
AMMAN (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday urged Palestinian and
Israeli calm, and called on the international community to help both sides
resume peace talks.
At a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, King Abdullah
reiterated the need to end the escalation, saying that the Israelis and
Palestinians must “build trust and take measures to consolidate the peace
process” by implementing the roadmap, which envisions the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state.
King Abdullah said the recent opening of the Rafah crossing linking the Gaza
Strip to Egypt was “a positive step” that should be “invested in to revive the
Palestinian economy, improve Gaza's living conditions, and ensure the
Palestinians' freedom of travel and transport.”
Strengthening Palestinian security forces was also key to bringing stability to
the area, he added.
The Monarch praised Italy's role in the peace process and reaffirmed to Fini the
importance of “continuing international efforts to help both the Palestinians
and Israelis press ahead with the peace process and overcome the obstacles until
they achieve lasting peace.”
Fini said Italy was ready to support efforts to redress the tattered Palestinian
economy and improve living conditions in the territories.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah and Fini stressed the need for Iraq “to regain its
security and stability as soon as possible,” which, they said, would only come
with “full Iraqi participation in the country's political process, particularly
in the December 15 parliamentary elections.”
On bilateral relations, King Abdullah and the Italian top diplomat discussed
means to bolster cooperation in various fields.
During the talks, attended by Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib, Fini said
Italy fully supports Jordan against terrorist threats.