His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday urged EU intervention to push for an immediate ceasefire and help end the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
During talks here with Finnish President Tarja Halonen, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, the King stressed the need for the union to play a positive role to end the war on Lebanon.
“Europeans play a very vital role in helping solve the Mideast conflict,” the King said.
Following the meeting, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania and senior officials, the King told reporters in a joint press conference with Halonen that it was important to support the Lebanese government and people to restore security and stability as soon as possible.
He said there will be a need to push forward the Middle East peace process and to encourage parties to negotiate after the fighting stops. The King said it was important for the region to see the Palestinians and the Israelis live in coexistence.
“We need to be able to get the parties back to the peace table,” he said. “If we don't, then the future of the Middle East will look very dark indeed.”
During the meeting with Halonen, King Abdullah said Jordan was looking forward to working with Finland and other EU countries to ensure the resumption of the Arab-Israeli peace process to “build a brighter future for all the peoples of the region”.
The King said the Middle East issues are “interconnected”.
“We, as part of the international community, need to speak in one voice when it comes to the challenges we face today,” he told the Finnish president.
Talks also covered the situation in Iraq, where, the King said, government efforts to restore stability should be backed.
Halonen, on her part, said the EU was committed to push the Middle East peace process forward, adding that ending “hostilities” could help revive the peace process.
She said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, who also briefly met with King Abdullah, would travel to Cairo later Wednesday for talks with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit.
The Jordan Times