Jordan and Britain stress two-state solution in talks (Roundup)

Apr 9, 2009, 16:05 GMT

Amman- Jordan's King Abdullah II pressed on Britain the need for 'serious negotiations' between the new Israeli government and the Palestinians over a two-state solution on Thursday, in a meeting with the British Foreign Secretary.

David Miliband, speaking at a joint press conference following the meeting, expressed Britain's concerns at Israeli plans to demolish scores of houses in East Jerusalem, leaving around 1,500 Palestinians homeless.

It was Miliband's first trip to Amman as foreign secretary, where he also met Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, in talks which also took in the global financial crisis.

'The monarch discussed with Miliband efforts being exerted with a view to launch serious negotiations to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution,' a royal court statement said.

'King Abdullah underscored the importance of the role of Europe and the world community in pushing forward the peace talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides towards the establishment of just peace based on relevant UN resolutions and the Arab peace initiative,' it added.

King Abdullah's remarks reflected concerns on the part of the Jordanian leadership as to the future of the Arab-Israeli peace process after the new right-wing Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, failed to unequivocally support the two-state formula.

Jordanians have been also worried by reports from Israel about plans backed by the new cabinet to speed up the building of settlements in East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day war along with the rest of the West Bank.

Miliband expressed his country's worries over plans by the new Israeli government to demolish scores of Palestinian homes in an East Jerusalem suburb and turn about 1,500 Palestinians homeless.

'We view with real concern the proposed demolition in East Jerusalem,' the British Foreign Secretary said at a press conference he jointly addressed with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.

'Jerusalem should be the capital of the Palestinians and Israel,' he added.

The United Nations still considers East Jerusalem an occupied city and both Jordan and the Palestinians insist that there would be no peace in the region before Israel quits East Jerusalem so as it become the capital of an independent Palestinian state.