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JORDAN
RENEWED MIDDLE
EAST PEACE
EFFORT URGED
His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Hussein,
of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan said the international
community should continue with the implementation of the
Israeli-Palestinian peace roadmap that was affirmed in Aqaba.
The King called for action to secure a
lasting peace in the Middle East. “Real peace demands real
trust,” he said. “That won’t come through distant, shapeless
goals. There must be prompt, visible action – dynamic
peace-making for a dynamic peace.” Added the Jordanian
monarch: “That means placing the roadmap on an irreversible
course to Palestinian statehood, Israeli security and
prosperity for all in the Middle East.”
King Abdullah, addressing participants,
stressed that once the Middle East conflict is resolved,
nothing could stop the region from becoming economically
dynamic. But “we will never be able to move until the
Israeli-Palestinian issue is resolved,” he warned. The King
proposed a new global partnership for development that
enhances the integration and participation of all the
world’s economies. He regretted that disparities between
rich and poor have undermined efforts to bring nations
together.
The collapse of the World Trade
Organization talks in Cancun is the latest example of a
breakdown in the dialogue between developed and developing
economies. King Abdullah urged countries to heal old
divisions and come together to push for change. Sustainable
peace and development can only come when the world achieves
a greater degree of cooperation and a more equitable balance
between the rich and poor. The choice is a stark one, he
said. “Together we will forge new dynamism, peace and
prosperity – or together we will suffer the consequences of
global division and despair.”
Jordan Minister of Trade and Industry
George Yeo Yong Boon handed over to his Majesty a letter
from Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proposing a Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and
Singapore. The FTA, which is expected to be signed by July
2004, will be the first between Jordan and an Asian country.
The three-day Summit, brought together 800 participants from
32 countries to discuss the theme of “Asia’s Future:
Recapturing Dynamism”.
Held in cooperation with the Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB), the Summit is Asia’s
premier gathering of business, government and media leaders,
as well as experts on trade, finance and economics.
His Majesty has extended an invitation to
hold a World Economic Forum in Jordan next May.
Source:
World Economic Forum
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