King Abdullah of Jordan urges 'swift action'
Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Photo: AFP
Jordan: Swift action needed for peace
In phone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, King Abdullah discusses need for 'serious and effective peace talks'. 'Deadlocked peace process threatens entire region,' says king
Jordan's
King Abdullah II on Wednesday urged "swift action" to help push forward the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, warning against wasting more time, a palace statement said.
Middle East
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"Efforts for having serious and effective peace talks should continue, based on a two-state solution, which is the only way to achieve regional stability and security," the statement quoted the king as telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the telephone.
"The deadlocked peace process threatens the entire region."
The king, whose country signed a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, said "practical steps are needed to remove obstacles facing the peace process," the statement said.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, the first for nearly two years, began in Washington on September 2 but quickly stalled when a 10-month Israeli settlements freeze expired on September 26.
The Palestinians refused to return to talks until all settlement building stopped in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
The telephone call came after controversial hard-right Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told AFP on Tuesday that "at least a decade" would be needed to reach a peace accord with the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh will visit the Palestinian territories on Thursday for talks on the peace process, an official statement said.
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