Jordan wants EU to play key role in advancing peace process

Feb 11, 2010, 14:16 GMT

Amman - Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh urged the European Union on Thursday to intensify efforts to ensure the re- launching of 'serious and effective negotiations' between Israel and the Palestinians.

Judeh's remark came during a meeting with Marc Otte, the EU's special representative to the Mideast peace process, according to a foreign ministry statement.

'Judeh underscored the importance of the EU role in pushing forward the peace efforts to surmount the obstacles' that currently impede the resumption of peace talks, the statement added.

The Jordanian minister told the European emissary that his country 'rejected all Israeli unilateral measures in East Jerusalem and other occupied Palestinian territories, including the demolition of houses, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes and the excavations around and under Islamic and Christian holy shrines'.

'Such illegal steps should be stopped immediately,' Judeh was quoted as saying.

For his part, Otte said the EU 'will carry on with efforts as part of the world community's endeavours to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on basis of the two-state vision', the statement said.