His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on means to increase economic cooperation and efforts to relaunch Middle East peace negotiations.

King Abdullah, who arrived in Paris on Tuesday for a brief visit, discussed with Sarkozy prospects to boost economic ties between Jordan and France and to increase investment cooperation in various economic projects and development areas in the Kingdom.

During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to overcome obstacles to restarting serious and effective peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

King Abdullah cautioned that Israel's continued settlement activities and unilateral measures in Jerusalem are a breach of international law. The King said Israel seeks to alter the features and identity of the city and to drive Muslims and Christians out of it through such measures.

Moreover, King Abdullah stressed the importance of the role of the EU, France in particular, in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieving comprehensive peace. He stressed the need for a concerted international effort to restart peace talks with a view to achieving the two-state solution as soon as possible.