US has new Mideast peace plan: Jordan king

Monday, May 18, 2009 at 2:16 AM Posted by Beijing News


The United States is expected to announce soon a new plan to kick-start the deadlocked Middle East peace talks, Jordan's King Abdullah II told AFP in an interview on Saturday.

"We expect an announcement from the US administration... of its plan to restart negotiations to achieve a comprehensive solution," in the Middle East, the king said.

"A resolution to the conflict is an American strategic interest," he said.

"And we hope that it Washington will announce this plan as soon as possible, because lost time undermines the chances for peace. There is a tremendous need to move quickly, seriously and effectively."

The king, a key US ally, gave no details on the expected plan, but he warned that in the absence of any resolution "the possibilities of a new round of violence, a new war, will increase and the region and the world will pay the price."

"We believe that progress towards a solution requires a leading American role and European, Arab and international support."

US officials in Washington also declined to elaborate on any new peace bid. "At this point were not going to describe if there is a specific plan on the table authored by us or anybody else," one of them said.

King Abdullah urged US President Barack Obama last month in Washington to back Palestinian statehood in "words as well as deeds," and pressed Israel to choose between integration or isolation in the Middle East.

He said Obama "understands the urgency of the situation today, and understands that procrastination threatens the security of the region and the world."

"President Obama has announced his commitment to the two-state solution within a comprehensive approach to achieve comprehensive peace," he added.

Obama is expected to lay out the framework of the plan when he visits Cairo for a major speech to the Muslim world next month.

Expectations in the Arab world are that the speech will present the outlines of a peace plan, including the recognition of Israel by 57 states.

"Fifty seven states do not recognise Israel, that's a third of UN member-states. The reason is the continuation of the occupation and the absence of a peace settlement," the king said.

He said Israel has to make choices.

"Does it Israel want to be a fortress, isolated from the region, or does it want to co-exist with its neighbours and with all the countries that do not recognise it and achieve acceptance and real security?" King Abdullah said.

Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab states that have made peace with Israel.

Obama, who has vowed to push ahead with peacemaking, holds talks Monday with hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hosts later this month Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

"There is no change to the Arab Peace Initiative, and there is no need to amend it. Any talk about amending it, is baseless," the king said.





A participant attends the 17th Life Ball in Vienna. AFP/Joe Klamar

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