Jordan Times
Monday, November 5, 2007
‘Conference last chance for
peace’
AMMAN (Petra) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Ilah Khatib on Sunday said the
upcoming international peace conference presents a significant opportunity to
find sustainable solutions to final status issues and establish an independent
Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
At a meeting with European Union ambassadors to the Kingdom yesterday, Khatib
underlined the importance of preparing for the US-hosted meeting in order to
ensure its success, particularly since it could be the last opportunity to
achieve desired progress.
A failure to seize this opportunity could lead to chaos and extremism in the
region, he added.
Khatib highlighted the role of the European Union in ensuring the success of the
international meeting and achieving peace and stability in the Middle East,
voicing the Kingdom’s support for the Donors Conference to be held in Paris with
the aim of providing the Palestinian Authority with political and financial
support.
He told the ambassadors that the Paris conference constitutes a positive step
towards reinforcing the competence of Palestinian institutions and alleviating
the suffering of the Palestinian people who are experiencing difficult
conditions, particularly those in Gaza.
The minister briefed the diplomats on His Majesty King Abdullah’s efforts to
revive the peace process on such bases that ensure a just and sustainable
solution for the Palestinian cause in line with UN resolutions and the 2002 Arab
Peace Initiative.
Khatib also briefed the ambassadors on the outcome of a meeting of Iraq’s
neighbouring states that was held recently in Istanbul.
He renewed the Kingdom’s supportive stance towards all efforts aimed at
restoring peace and stability in Iraq, upholding its unity and integrity, and
ending the suffering of its people.
On Lebanon, Khatib said the Kingdom urges the entire spectrum of the Lebanese
political forces to overcome disputes and work to achieve national
reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the ambassadors commended the Kingdom’s efforts spearheaded by King
Abdullah, which seek to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East,
particularly where the peace process and the situation in Iraq are concerned.