Jordan Times
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
King, Mubarak review peace efforts
AMMAN (JT) - Jordan and Egypt on Monday reiterated their demand that Israel halt all its unilateral measures, especially the expansion of settlements, among other plans that threaten the identity of Jerusalem and its holy sites.
During a meeting at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak also underlined the need for intensive efforts by the international community to launch Middle East peace negotiations in accordance with a fixed time frame and the relevant terms of reference, especially the Arab Peace Initiative, a Royal Court statement said.
The King returned later in the day following his brief working visit to Egypt.
At the meeting, the two leaders discussed efforts to resume negotiations to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution, which they said is a prerequisite for achieving peace and stability in the region.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, they added, should address all final status issues leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and take place within a comprehensive regional context that brings about Mideast peace.
During their talks, which continued over a lunch banquet, Mubarak briefed the King on the results of his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week with a view to jumpstart negotiations and realise peace based on the two-state formula.
Yesterday’s discussions also covered bilateral relations and means to foster them in various fields.
At a press conference following the talks between King Abdullah and Mubarak, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh underlined the need for intensifying efforts to launch negotiations that lead to ending the conflict.
He added that the challenges are huge and that there are difficulties, but there is no room for despair and no efforts should be spared to activate the peace process.
He also referred to the upcoming Arab summit, underlining the need to prepare for the meeting through intensifying communications among Arab leaders and officials.
Judeh said that he along with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit will meet with foreign ministers of Spain, France and Tunisia on Tuesday to discuss the Union for Mediterranean and Regional Cooperation.
Abul Gheit said at the presser that Mubarak briefed the King on the outcome of his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as well as on results of a recent visit he made to Washington, along with chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman.
Abul Gheit said Jordan and Egypt see eye to eye regarding the current situation in the region, especially with respect to efforts being exerted to achieve a peaceful settlement to the Middle East conflict.
He added that discussions between the two leaders also covered the upcoming Arab summit and the need to coordinate efforts in this regard.
Abul Gheit also said Washington would present him and Suleiman with its position when they visit the United States on January 8, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"The process is prolonged and will need patience, rigour and a thought-out position so that the Palestinians are not placed in a difficult position," the official MENA news agency quoted him as saying.
Abbas ‘open for talks’
Abbas said on Monday he was open to peace negotiations with Israel, but that as agreed with Egypt talks could only resume when Jewish settlement activity ends, AFP reported.
"There is no objection to returning to the negotiating table or holding any meetings in principle," Abbas told reporters in Sharm El Sheikh after his talks with Mubarak.
"We have said, and we will continue to say, that when there is a halt of settlement activity and recognised terms of reference, we are ready to resume negotiations," Abbas said.
He said Egypt agreed with his views, contradicting reports in Israel's Maariv newspaper that Mubarak was to press Abbas to accept a US peace plan to restart the talks immediately.
"President Mubarak has stressed that [the status of] Jerusalem be included in the negotiations, that settlement activity must end and there must be clear terms of reference," Abbas said.
In Israel, Netanyahu told members of his Likud Party that the time was ripe for resuming the peace process.
"Since the formation of this government, I have called for restarting negotiations with the Palestinians without preconditions," he told the Likud members in parliament on Monday.
"I believe the negotiations about entering negotiations have held us up long enough. In recent weeks I got the impression that there is something of a change in the air. I hope there is a ripening that will allow the peace process to start," Netanyahu said.
Abbas' visit to Egypt comes almost a week after Netanyahu met Mubarak in Cairo about the stalled peace process and as diplomats said Washington was drafting letters of guarantee for the peace talks.