Date :29 Jul 2010
Jordan's stance on peace talks mirrors the Palestinian position, chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wednesday.

Speaking by phone from Amman, where he was accompanying President Mahmoud Abbas on a state visit to the country, Erekat told Ma'an radio that the issue of peace talks "was not on the agenda" during Tuesday's meeting of the two leaders in the Jordanian capital.

Jordan's King Abdullah II met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day after Abbas' visit sparking rumors of progress in moving the US-led proximity talks, currently being pushed toward direct peace negotiations by US and EU officials.

Erekat said that meeting - the first in a year - was an "attempt of King Abdullah to convince Netanyahu to show goodwill and deal seriously with the Palestinian proposals concerning final status issues," and said reports that Netanyahu was attempting to use Abdullah to pressure Abbas into returning to talks were untrue.

The flurry of meetings came with Abbas set to address the Arab League on Thursday, when he is expected to ask for support for his decision to decline resuming direct peace talks.

Erekat, however, partially dispelled the expectation saying Abbas would discuss the issue but that it was "too early to address the issue," adding that there are still two months before proximity talks are required to move into direct talks according to the US schedule.

The PLO official also said Abbas was waiting for progress from Israel before direct talks would go ahead, explaining that "The Israeli government is in front of two options, peace or settlements. It cannot have both."

Ramallah's continued refusal to resume talks without action from Israel comes amid a report from The Associated Press that US President Barack Obama delivered a message to Abbas warning that if he did not go ahead with peace talks, the US would withdraw support for the declaration of a Palestinian state. source: ma'an