By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated the importance of launching a unified Arab-EU-US effort to relaunch serious and active negotiations to address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution as the only path to peace and stability in the region.

During a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana yesterday, the King called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and work for a permanent Middle East peace that is also built on the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, a Royal Court statement said.

He stressed that there is no need to launch a fresh peace process but rather build on what previous efforts have achieved.

The two sides discussed efforts to sustain the ceasefire in Gaza and ensure safe entry of humanitarian and medical assistance into the Gaza Strip where residents are enduring tragic conditions created by Israel’s three-week assault on the besieged coastal enclave.

The King urged nonstop flow of medical and humanitarian aid into Gaza to prevent deterioration in the living and health conditions of people in the strip.

The Monarch, who is scheduled to meet the new US peace envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell Saturday, stressed that the international community should focus its efforts to tackle the root causes of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to ensure that Israeli aggression, which resulted in the death of more than 1,300 Palestinians and the injury of thousands, would not reoccur.

Meanwhile, Solana reiterated the EU's vision towards addressing the conflict in the region based on the two-state formula.

"The EU does not see any other solution to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis but a solution that is based on the two-state solution," Solana told reporters at a press conference held at Marka Airport ahead of his departure for Jerusalem.

He added that Jordan has a fundamental role with regard to the peace process and the regional situation in general, adding that the EU will continue to work with Jordan as an important partner in the region. He referred to Foreign Minister Salah Bashir's participation in talks held on Sunday in Brussels with EU representatives concerning political developments in the Middle East.

The envoy said the EU is also working with other regional and international parties to ensure a sustained ceasefire in Gaza to ensure full access of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"What is important now is to maintain and sustain the ceasefire, which produces calm for a period of time, which is long and is respected by everybody. I hope that we can move in that direction," he said, adding that EU's top priority is a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

He reiterated that the EU deals with the Palestinian Authority as a partner in the peace process; however, the union supports Egyptian efforts to achieve reconciliation among various Palestinian factions.

Solana, who held talks earlier on Wednesday with Israeli Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stressed that the EU has always supported and will continue to support the Palestinians with humanitarian aid through UN agencies and relevant local community institutions in Gaza.

The EU foreign policy chief said he was promised by Israeli officials during bilateral talks Wednesday to increase the amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"We've been talking about how to be able to accelerate the arrival of the humanitarian aid, which currently stands at around 120 aid trucks on a daily basis," Solana said, adding that the number would jump to 400.

Furthermore, Solana said NATO will not have any role with regard to combating alleged attempts by Hamas to smuggle weapons into the enclave through the border with Egypt.

The EU envoy stopped short of declaring EU's position if Hamas wins future parliamentary and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories.