Ljubljana, April 8 (JIB)-- His Majesty King Abdullah II, during his talks with Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk in Ljubljana today, affirmed that the region looks forward to greater political role to be played by the European Union in supporting the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, especially when it comes to issues of the final status negotiations. His Majesty that Slovenia as President of the European Union can contribute strongly to supporting the stability in the Middle East and to encouraging the parties of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to reach a peace agreement leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.  

His Majesty King warned that failure to reach a just and lasting peace prevail in the Middle East would negatively affect the security, stability and future of the region. His Majesty highlighted the positive effects of the support provided by the European Union to the Palestinian National Authority and its importance in building its economy and its institutions and to enable them to secure the necessary services to the Palestinian people.

At the level of bilateral relations, King Majesty the King stressed Jordan's keenness to benefit from the Slovenian expertise in the area of economic programs in the presence of many sectors the two countries could exchange experiences in order to promote the common interest. For his part, the President Tuerk hailed the visit, which is the first, of His Majesty the King first to Slovenia, affirming its important impact on the development of areas of cooperation between the two countries.

The Slovenian President stressed his country's keenness to work for the consolidation of peace in the Middle East, saying that "Slovenia is fully prepared to cooperate with Jordan and to support the efforts led by His Majesty the King to achieve peace and stability in the region and the world." In statements to reporters following the joint talks, His Majesty the King stressed Jordan's determination to work to boost bilateral relations between the two countries especially in the area of economic cooperation.

President Tuerk pointed to the efforts of Jordan to promote world peace through its contributions with the United Nations in this area. He said, "Jordan and Slovenia are enjoying strong bilateral relations based on understanding and common stands towards issues such as their moral commitment towards the Balkan war as the two countries sought to accelerate the peace process there and to disseminate of the truth behind this conflict." He described the developments in the Middle East as "worrying" but added, that "there is no room for despair nor to stop work for peace," affirming confident his country in the efforts of His Majesty the King to reach peace.  

Regarding the future of bilateral relations, Tuerk said there are many opportunities for cooperation between the two countries but need to be enhanced especially in the economic fields, pointing to the importance of a quick action in order to reach bilateral agreements that frame the cooperation between the two countries. Politically, His Majesty King Abdullah II said Slovenia and Jordan tie up to ensure progress in the peace process and stability in Lebanon, pointing to the "important role of Slovenia as President of the European Union to encourage the parties of the peace process to come together and achieve peace".   It is noteworthy that Slovenia, which is chairing the European Union since the beginning of this year and for a period of six months, plays a leading role in the Union's foreign policy towards the Middle East within what is known as the "European Neighborhood Policy".