Jordan Times
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Talks in Ankara, Paris take
ties step further
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment to
strengthening Franco-Jordanian relations in various sectors and stated his
satisfaction with the memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a
Policy Consultation Group.
According to a Royal Court statement, the group will coordinate political,
economic and military bilateral relations, as well as issues pertaining to
energy generation.
In talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday evening, the King lauded
the strength of relations between Jordan and France, as epitomised by France’s
support for the Paris Club’s recent buyback of part of Jordan’s debt.
King Abdullah also underscored the importance of rallying international efforts
in the coming months to build on the outcome of the international peace meeting
held last month in Annapolis. He said that all concerned parties must support
Palestinians and Israelis to ensure that they uphold their commitments and
advance the peace process.
The King stressed that the international peace meeting must be leveraged as a
real starting point for serious negotiations within a benchmarked, timelined
framework aiming to achieve a Palestinian-Israeli agreement before the end of
next year.
King Abdullah added that negotiations must address all final status issues,
leading to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state.
His Majesty said France plays an important role in helping ensure the success of
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, reiterating that a two-state solution is the
accepted formula for peacemaking in the Arab world and internationally.
The King also restated Jordan’s commitment to helping achieve progress towards a
just and comprehensive peace that includes the end of the occupation of Syrian
and Lebanese lands, and which resolves the various aspects of the Arab-Israeli
conflict in accordance with international legitimacy.
King Abdullah and the French president also discussed during their meeting means
of supporting the Palestinian Authority. The King expressed his appreciation to
President Sarkozy for France’s hosting of the Palestinian donors summit, which
aimed to rally political and financial support for the PA in order to help
alleviate the difficult economic conditions facing the Palestinian people.
The two leaders also discussed Iraq and ways to strengthen security and
stability there. King Abdullah reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Iraqi national
reconciliation efforts and the need to ensure the inclusion of each of the
country’s spectra in the process.
The recent developments in Lebanon were also on the meeting’s agenda. King
Abdullah stressed his support for maintaining the country’s security and
stability, hailing French efforts to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and unity.
His Majesty arrived in Paris from Ankara, where Jordan and Turkey also agreed to
form a policy consultation group to function as a forum for dialogue between the
two countries on all issues of concern, especially bilateral and regional
issues.
According to a joint statement issued following a meeting between King Abdullah
and Turkish President Abdullah Gul, the committee, which will coordinate
policies, comprises high-ranking officials.
In his meeting with Gul, King Abdullah condemned a recently announced Israeli
plan to build 300 housing units in Jabal Abu Ghneim in East Jerusalem.
The two leaders said such a step is an obstacle for the peace process and for
increasing confidence in the process, especially after the Annapolis meeting.
In remarks to the press, King Abdullah said the US should hold each party
accountable for its commitments at the Annapolis meeting, adding that
negotiations should be coupled with the implementation of commitments by each
party on the ground, including the halt of Israeli settlement activities in East
Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The Turkish president said the news about Israel’s plans to create new housing
units shocked the world because it was a stark and a clear violation of the
Annapolis meeting, which the two leaders said should serve as a starting point
for a process that leads to the creation of a Palestinian state in 2008 through
intensive negotiations.
Gul voiced hope that Israel would go back on its decision because none of the
parties is allowed to hamper the peace process.
King Abdullah described his talks with Gul as fruitful and a step towards a
significant push for deepening bilateral ties.
According to the joint statement, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in
various political, security, economic and tourism issues, in addition to energy
issues such as gas and power linkage.
Jordan and Turkey also stressed the importance of their efforts to generate a
comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in accordance with the Arab
Peace Initiative.
In this regard, King Abdullah thanked Turkey for its role in helping to revive
the Palestinian economy through the creation of industrial zones.
Talks between the two leaders also covered the situation in Iraq and Lebanon.
They stressed the importance of preserving the stability, unity and sovereignty
of both Arab countries and rejected any external interference in their internal
affairs.
King Abdullah and Gul said it was also important to achieve progress on
Syrian-Lebanese tracks. They also condemned all threats to regional security,
especially terrorism, including recent terrorist acts by the Kurdistan Workers
Party.
Also yesterday, King Abdullah met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and discussed bilateral ties in various political and economic fields.
The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination to establish peace
and stability in the Middle East in accordance with the 2002 Arab Peace
Initiative and international resolutions.
The two countries agreed to develop commercial and economic ties and to sign a
free trade agreement as soon as possible, in addition to enhancing cooperation
in the field of ground and marine transportation.
They also said a joint economic committee meeting could be held as early as next
year.
Also yesterday, King Abdullah visited the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the
founder of modern Turkey, and laid a wreath and signed the book of senior
visitors.