By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday urged an effective role on the part of the EU, and particularly the UK, in efforts to make peace in the region that leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, said.

The King made the remarks during a meeting with visiting British Foreign Minister David Miliband, where they discussed efforts to overcome obstacles that obstruct the launch of Palestinian-Israeli talks.

Palestinians have this week protested what observers saw as a shift in Washington’s stand on peace talks, after US officials commended Israel’s plan to restrict, rather than freeze, the building of settlements in the West Bank.

In response, Amman insisted that all Israeli unilateral measures in the West Bank and Jerusalem end.

At the meeting with the top British diplomat, the Monarch renewed a warning against Israeli policies, especially settlement activity and measures that threaten the identity of East Jerusalem and the holy sites.

The King underlined the need for the international community to act swiftly and effectively to seize the opportunity at hand to realise peace through creating the suitable environment for peace negotiations on the basis of the two-state formula.

His Majesty also called for supporting the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas in pursuit of the Palestinian people’s right to statehood and a normal life free of Israel-imposed daily suffering.

In remarks to the press later in the day, Miliband described Israeli settlements as "illegal and an obstacle to peace" between the Palestinians and Israelis.

"Settlements are illegal in our view and an obstacle to a peace settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem," Miliband told reporters during a press conference.

"It's so important for all those who care about security and social justice in this region that discussions about borders and territory are restarted in a serious way, because if you can progress on border and territory, you can resolve the settlement issue," Miliband said.

The minister, who also met with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, said he discussed with the US official the latest developments regarding the efforts exerted to relaunch the peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He did not elaborate.

Miliband added that any alternatives to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are "dark and unwelcome".

"It's important we don't lose sight of the importance of a two-state solution for all peoples of the region. I think the alternatives are dark and unwelcome for all sides," he said.

"We have to find a credible route to a credible state and credible peace," the UK official said, adding that in order for peace negotiations to resume "it is important to build trust between all concerned parties in the region in the peace process".