King Abdullah calls on Barak to deal seriously with Middle East peace process

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday in Amman said that peace in the Middle East will not be durable and comprehensive unless Syria and Lebanon restore their territories.

During a meeting held in Amman on Sunday with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, King Abdullah called on Barak to deal with the Syrian track in a high spirit of responsibility and great interest, stressing his full confidence in the commitment shown by the Syrian leadership to establish a just and comprehensive peace.

The Jordanian king added that Middle East peace parties should act according to the common interests to achieve peace and not permit extremist groups to impede the Middle East peace process.

The Jordanian king also underlined the importance of eliminating obstacles placed in the way of the Palestinian- Israeli negotiations, hinting that genuine endeavors to set up a just and comprehensive peace require the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to self determination to their own independent state.

For his part Barak briefed the Jordanian king on latest developments of negotiations on the Syrian and Palestinian peace tracks.