Jordanian FM: 'Serious, encouraging' elements exist in peace talks

Chief Palestinian negotiator briefs Nasser Judeh on talks with Israel; Jordanian FM expects next round of talks within days.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Jordanian FM Nasser Judeh_311 (photo credit: Reuters/Susan Baaghil)
Jordanian FM Nasser Judeh_311
(photo credit: Reuters/Susan Baaghil)
Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Saturday said he expected Israel and the Palestinians to convene for the next round of renewed peace talks "in a few days from now," AFP reported.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Saturday met with Judeh in Amman to brief him on the negotiations with Israel.
“On all sides, particularly that of the United States, there are elements which are serious and encouraging regarding the success of the negotiations,” Judeh was quoted as saying.
The Jordanian minister voiced the kingdom's support for the Palestinians to reach the objectives they seek in the talks and stressed that all final status issues are of Jordanian nation interest, according to the country's Ammon News portal.
"A solution to the Palestinian issue, as envisaged by His Majesty the King, lies in the establishment of an independent, viable and contiguous Palestinian state on national Palestinian soil with East Jerusalem as its capital and within the framework of the two-state solution and according to international terms of reference, while taking into consideration the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy," Ammon quoted Judeh as saying.
Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he was prepared to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss ways of boosting the peace process.
Abbas told reporters after meeting in Ramallah with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius: "We have no objections to meeting with the Israeli prime minister when there is a need for such a meeting."
On Tuesday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met for a pair of unannounced talks in Jerusalem.
Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.