Channels

Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
Olmert and Abbas with King Abdullah
Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO
Photo: Haim Tzach
Olmert. Jordan visit
Photo: Haim Tzach
Photo: AFP
Abbas. First meeting with Olmert
Photo: AFP

Olmert, Abbas meet in Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah hosts prime minister, Palestinian president at Petra convention; in unofficial meeting, leaders decide to build free trade zone in Jordan Valley, agree to meet within few weeks

First meeting in Jordan: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dined Thursday morning in Petra, Jordan with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and with Jordan's King Abdullah. In the meeting, which was defined as "good and warm," the three decided to promote the establishment of a free trade zone in the Jordan Valley, east of Jenin.

 

Abbas and Olmert agreed to meet within a few weeks.

 

Olmert said in the meeting that he had made a decision to build an international joint airport in Aqaba with two terminals, and promote the water pipeline from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, as well as joint copper mining in Timna and in the Jordanian area.

 

Olmert, Abbas and Abdullah dined in Petra together with the Dalai Lama and author Elie Wiezel.

 

State officials in Jerusalem made it clear that "there were no diplomatic negotiations. The meeting with Abu Mazen (Abbas) will be set for the end of June or the beginning of July."

 

Abbas' advisor Nabil Abu Rdeneh said in Petra that a summit could be held within the next two weeks. This is the first meeting between Olmert and Abbas since the prime minister was elected.

 

Olmert was invited by King Abdullah to take part in the second Petra Conference being held in Jordan since Wednesday. The conference is being attended by Vice Premier Shimon Peres, who already met with Abbas and King Abdullah. The journalist and author Elie Wiesel is also taking part in the conference, and is expected to meet with Olmert later.


Peres, Olmert, Abbas and Abdullah (Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO)

 

Officials at Olmert's office said that the meeting with Abbas was only a ceremonial and symbolic gesture and that they do not plan to discuss issues which will be postponed to the planned meeting between the two, scheduled to take place in a few weeks. However, it is possible that urgent diplomatic issues will be raised during the unofficial meeting.

 

'Israel not ready for serious negotiations'

 

Rdeneh said Thursday that a summit between the leaders could be held in the next two weeks, but Israel's vice premier said his side wasn't ready for "serious negotiations."

 

The Palestinian president was waiting for final confirmation from Israel to schedule the meeting, Rdeneh said, adding that a location had not yet been decided.

 

Abbas said during the Petra Conference on Wednesday that “Israel must realize that we will not be able to accept a unilateral solution determined solely by its government, which is building fences around the Palestinian population. We will demand the 1967 borders – no more and no less."

 

Vice Premier Shimon Peres, who is also visiting Jordan, responded by saying “Israel would have sat at the negotiating table a long time ago and the Palestinians would have a state were it not for the Palestinian terror and the Qassam rocket fire.

 

“The way of terror and shedding blood does not promote peace,” he said.

 

Olmert had said in the past that he does not reject Abbas as a possible partner, "but he must fulfill the three conditions set by the Quartet: Recognizing Israel, renouncing terror and meet the Palestinian Authority's commitments toward Israel as signed in the agreements since 1993."

 

Olmert and Abbas' associates are currently working on preparing the joint meeting.

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.22.06, 11:05
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment