King Hussein receives French foreign minister

King Hussein of Jordan yesterday received French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine at Salam Palace in Amman.

Crown Prince Hassan and Prime Minister Abdul Salam al-Majali attended the meeting, during which the king discussed the peace process in the Middle East and the problems it faced.

The king discussed bilateral relations between Jordan and France with Vedrine. He concentrated upon the economic relations.

Meanwhile Crown Prince Hassan discussed with Vedrine the efforts being made to push the peace process forward.

Prime Minister al-Majali also met with French foreign minister. "We hope that we may activate our investment, economic and tourism relations," al-Majali said.

France considers the Middle East its top priority issue and Paris pays great attention to the peace process, Vedrine told the reporters.

The French Foreign Minister, in a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Fayez al-Taraunah before he departed Jordan, said that France would do its best to revive the peace process, but France is not going to have new initiatives, he added.

France also signed a trade protocol with Jordan. It was a FF. 80 million protocol, of which FF 40 million was to be allotted to treat water polution in the north of Jordan.