Jordan hails EU plan to recognize Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

Dec 6, 2009, 15:16 GMT

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday praised the European Union's endeavour to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state.

The monarch's remark was made during his meeting with ambassadors of the EU countries accredited to Jordan, according to a royal court statement.

'The king hailed efforts being exerted by Sweden, the current EU chairman, to work out a unified European attitude that recognizes East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state vision which enjoys universal consensus,' a royal court statement said.

EU foreign ministers are reportedly expected to discuss the Swedish draft when they meet in Brussels on Monday. The Swedish proposal is also said to provide for EU endorsement of a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.

During Sunday's meeting, King Abdullah urged EU countries 'to put adequate pressure on Israel to force it to stop all unilateral measures it is carrying out in occupied Jerusalem that may threaten Islamic and Christian shrines there and seek to change its (Arab) stamp through emptying the holy city of its Muslim and Christian inhabitants.'

Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war before annexing it, which is still considered by the United Nations as occupied territory.

King Abdullah also underlined the importance of the EU's role in removing obstacles that hinder the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the royal court statement said.