Amman - Austrian President Heinz Fischer said Sunday that his and other European Union countries support the continuation of Israeli-Palestinian talks toward a peace pact leading to establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. "The whole situation in the Middle East is of great interest and significance for Europe as a whole and Austria in particular," Fischer told a press conference he addressed jointly with Jordanian King Abdullah II.
"It is logical to continue the effort to solve this problem on the basis of two states that can live together peacefully."
Abdullah stressed the need for continuing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in the run-up for reaching a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.
He called on Israel "to stop all unilateral actions in the occupied Palestinian areas, particularly the settlement activity, and to take tangible and effective steps to end the sufferings of the Palestinian people".
Abdullah said that he and Fischer discussed the Arab peace initiative, which the monarch said offered a "huge opportunity" to end decades of conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Abdullah emphasized the European Union's role in advancing the peace process in the Middle East.
He said that they also discussed the situation in Iraq, saying a "prosperous and stable Iraq" was key to the stability of the entire region".
Fischer, accompanied by his wife Margit, arrived earlier Sunday in Amman earlier to start a three-day state visit.
He held talks with Abdullah on latest developments in the Middle East and "the steps that can be taken by the two countries to boost their historical ties, particularly in the judicial, investment and tourist spheres," a royal court statement said.
During a dinner banquet that Abdullah and Queen Rania held for the Fischers, the king praised "the role played by Austria so that the Euro-Med partnership remains strong and constructive."
