BRUSSELS, Nov 25 (AFP) - Jordan's King Abdullah II and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso called on Thursday for efforts to revive the Middle East peace process following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
"We agree that it is now time to go ahead with this process. It is very important for the region but also for global peace," Barroso told reporters after a meeting with the Jordanian monarch.
"We do hope that we have opportunities now to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer together to move the process along," added King Abdullah.
Barroso praised Jordan's efforts to promote peace in the Middle East, saying: "We have a great respect for the role Jordan and its king are playing in the region."
The European Union executive is drafting a plan for increasing cooperation with Amman, which Barroso hoped would be approved early in December for presentation to EU ministers later in the month.
Barroso and King Abdullah earlier signed an agreement on EU aid to help alleviate poverty in Jordan.
During his brief visit, Abdullah also held talks with the leaders of political groups in the European Parliament, as well as with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
11/25/2004 20:18 GMT - AFP