Jordan ready to host Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations

A high-ranking Jordanian official has told the AFP that Jordan is ready, if it is asked, to host the peace negotiations between Syria and Israel after these are officially resumed in Washington next week. The Jordanian official, who asked not to be identified, added that "choosing the venue of the negotiations is decided by the negotiators."

If the negotiators agree Jordan to be a venue for their meetings, the kingdom "will not hesitate and is ready to receive them."

He added that Jordan will not hesitate to provide any backing from the perspective of the Jordanian understanding to the needs of the Arab negotiators.

On Thursday, Israel Radio quoted a high-ranking Israeli official as saying that Israel had agreed to resume these negotiations later in Amman following a proposal submitted by the Jordanian King Abdullah II after a telephone call he made with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Meanwhile, an Arab diplomatic source in Amman stated that transferring negotiations into the Middle East will not be done before the middle of December or the beginning of January, next year.