Chief of the EU parliament confers with Jordanian King

The chairperson of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine, currently visiting Jordan, has asserted that the European Union has not changed its position over East Jerusalem and that the EU does not consider this part of the city under Israeli sovereignty.

On Tuesday Palestinian officials criticized Fontaine after she refused to meet with the member of the Palestinian government who is in charge of the Jerusalem file, Faisal al-Husseini, in Beit al-Sharq (the Orient House), the almost-official headquarters of the PLO in the eastern part of the holy city.

The meeting was held at St. Hennah for Guests in the old part of the city.

In reply to this criticism Fontaine, who met with King Abdullah II, said: "I have met with al-Husseini and availed the chance to explain to him during the meeting the position of the European Union concerning the question of Jerusalem and to stress that this stand has not changed."

She continued that the EU "considers the status of Jerusalem as a special separate case," adding that the EU had issued a statement in this regard on October 1, 1996.