Petra News Agency
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sharif: King exerts enormous
efforts to kickstart peace process
Amman, May 31 (Petra)-- Minister of state for media affairs and communication
Nabil Al Sharif said His Majesty King Abdullah II was assuming enormous efforts
to jumpstart serious peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis to achieve
the two-state solution.
He told a delegation of U. S media students that Jordan was playing a pivotal
role to find a fair solution to the Palestinian issue that guaranteed setting up
an independent Palestinian state on national Palestinian soil.
Sharif said that Jordan, which is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the
king's assumption of his constitutional powers, had made remarkable development
in various economic, political, health and educational fields.
He added that among economic achievements were a number of mega economic
projects, including the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and other developmental
zones across the country.
The minister said that King Abdullah's recent talks with U.S President Barack
Obama had given a fresh momentum to finding a solution to the Palestinian issue
at the current stage.
He said the Arab and Muslim countries were looking with optimism and interest to
an address by Obama, which he will deliver from Cairo in coming days.
"What is required from the American administration is to look positively at the
Palestinian issue, put it in the front burner and press the Israeli government
to accept the two-state solution, stop settlement construction and eviction of
Palestinians from Jerusalem and preserve the historic holy city," he added.
Sharif also said Jordan, despite its limited resources, was a strong supporter
of Iraqis as Iraqi students had been enrolled in Jordanian state schools.
He said Iraq was a key economy for Jordan.