His Majesty King Abdullah received on Sunday French Foreign Minster Michele Alliot-Marie.

The meeting covered bilateral ties, developments in the region, particularly exerted efforts to overcome obstacles hindering the resumption of serious and effective Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

King Abdullah called on the world community to “reach a consensus” on immediate steps that should be taken to salvage the Middle East peace process.

He said there is no time to waste more opportunities to make peace in the region. Unless the peace process moves forward, the region and the world will suffer more tension and conflict, the King told the French top diplomat.

King Abdullah underlined the role of France and the European Union (EU) in supporting the Middle East peace process, which, he said, should lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, on Palestinian national soil, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He commended Paris for supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

During the meeting, the French minister briefed the King on the outcome of her talks and meetings with various officials during her regional tour, which covered Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories. She also briefed the King on French efforts to support various endeavours seeking to achieve regional peace.

On bilateral ties, King Abdullah emphasised the importance of developing the Jordanian-French partnership, voicing appreciation for France's support for the Kingdom in attaining advanced status with the EU, which Jordan obtained last year.

The King also extended gratitude for France's assistance to Jordan in implementing various development programmes in key sectors, especially in the energy sector.