Jordan and US call for resuming peace talks

Jordan and the United States on Saturday called on the Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace talks, urging more efforts toward forming an independent and viable Palestinian state, the state-run Petra news agency reported.At a meeting, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for resuming peace talks in line with international resolutions.Judeh, who reviewed Jordan's efforts in pushing the peace process forward, said the Palestinian issue is the core of conflict in the region, adding that the lack of a solution will deprive the world and the region of peace and stability.The direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in October 2010 when Israel refused to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.Judeh and Kerry also underlined the need for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, noting that almost half a million Syrian refugees had flooded in Jordan and thus put much pressure on the kingdom.