Jordan Times
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Kingdom reiterates call for
WMD-free Mideast
BUENOS AIRES (Agencies) - Jordan on Wednesday called again for a Middle East
free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Addressing a meeting of Arab and Latin American nations' foreign ministers here,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Salah Bashir highlighted the efforts the Kingdom is
exerting towards that end.
He said focus should be placed on ways to address political and economic
challenges facing the region, amid an international trend to build blocs and
partnerships, saying that there is so much in common between the Arab and the
Latin worlds to build on.
The first summit of Latin American and Arab states was held in Brazil in May
2005 with a vow to work together to promote economic growth and alleviate
poverty.
Yesterday’s meeting was the first at the level of foreign ministers.
Bashir said both regions should enhance cooperation to achieve sustainable
socio-economic development and world peace through establishing an Arab-Latin
alliance and coordinating unified stands on international developments.
Highlighting the need to find a solution to the Palestinian issue, Bashir
reaffirmed that it remains the core regional conflict and failing to address it
would negatively affect world peace and stability.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal said on
Wednesday that lack of positive response from Israel to initiatives for Middle
East peace would make Arab nations review their position.
"We hope that Israel responds positively to our quest and efforts, to avoid
desperation that would force us to review our options," he said in his speech at
the opening of the Arab-Latin meeting.
Prince Faisal said Arab participation in last November's conference in
Annapolis, Maryland, to launch a new bid for Middle East peace was based on the
idea of entering a new era of talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
agreed on Tuesday to accelerate US-backed peace talks after critics warned
Israel not enough was being done to get a deal this year.
"It is not logic to always blame the weak side of the equation. The Palestine
people are suffering and it cannot be ignored what Israel is doing as far as
expanding settlements," Prince Faisal said.
The negotiations that were launched in Annapolis have been stalled by disputes
over Israeli plans to build new settlements near Jerusalem and Olmert's
insistence on putting off talks about the future of Jerusalem.