Jordan's King Abdullah II told Israel's opposition leader and Labor chairman, whom he met with Tuesday in Amman, that following his recent meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he senses a "change" in Syria.
Peres, in reply, said peace is not an embarrassment and added Assad ought to come to Jerusalem or to invite Israel's Prime Minister to Syria.
Abdullah II and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad met Monday in northern Jordan in order to lay the cornerstone for the construction of a long-awaited dam. Following the ceremony on the Jordanian side of the border, King Abdullah joined the Syrian leader in Damascus for talks on the Middle East and Iraq.
The Jordanian King told Peres and Israeli MPs Benjamin Ben Eliezer and Dalia Itzhik during their meeting that "there are changes in Syria", according to Israeli press reports.
Abdullah said his optimistic remarks were based primarily on the meeting he held with Assad on Monday.
For his part, Peres replied Assad should behave like the late King Hussein and late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and not "shun away".
The Labor head stressed, "Peace is not an embarrassment...If [Assad] seeks peace, he should come to Jerusalem or invite Israel's prime minister to Damascus".
During the meeting, the sides discussed regional affairs and Peres presented his "incentives and non-pressure" plan to advance the peace process.
The plan includes guarantees to incorporate Palestine and Jordan to the EU, following the signing of a peace treaty and the joining of all the region's countries to a treaty against 'terror'".
In addition, according to Israeli press, during a phone conversation Monday between the Egyptian President and Peres, Mubarak invited the latter to visit Cairo. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
