His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday urged greater French and European efforts to help revive the Middle East peace process.

“Jordan is keen to see enhanced efforts by France and the European Union to launch Palestinian-Israeli political negotiations that would lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state in line with the Arab Peace Initiative,” the King told French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a meeting in Paris.

The King, who returned on Wednesday from a short visit to France, underlined the need to back the Palestinian Authority to help create a strong partner for peace.

During the meeting, Sarkozy told King Abdullah that it was time for a new initiative to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Sarkozy briefed His Majesty on a telephone conversation he had with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Talks between the two leaders, the first since Sarkozy was elected as president, also covered means to boost bilateral relations.

The King thanked Sarkozy for his initiative to swap part of Amman's $946 million debt to Paris with French investments, which is expected to boost the European country's position as the largest foreign investor in the Kingdom.

King Abdullah appreciated Sarkozy's readiness to work with Jordan's European partners on repurchasing the Kingdom's debts, as Jordan has requested from the Paris Club. A team from the Finance Ministry is following up on the issue.

The Jordan Times