The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Tokyo

Senior officials from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority held talks Wednesday in Japan in a bid to lay the groundwork for peace by improving the Palestinian economy. Japan, which is seeking a greater role in the Middle East, hopes the talks will lead to a deal on its signature project in the region-starting an agro-industrial park in the West Bank in early 2009.

Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura pressed Israel during the talks to halt plans to build more Jewish settlements.

He called for progress on the "road map" to a peace deal creating a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as outlined in the November summit in Annapolis near Washington.

Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra, heading the Israeli delegation, replied that the Jewish state "will continue to abide by the road map and continue to pursue negotiations with the Palestinian side," according to a memo released by Japan after the talks.

"Israel praises Japan's support to improve the lives of Palestinians and wants to cooperate as much as possible," he was quoted as saying.

The two also met together with Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir and Palestinian planning minister Samir Abdullah.

The talks aim to get off the ground a project first proposed by Japan in 2006 to build a complex near Jericho to export fruit and vegetables via Jordan to the Gulf.

Japan hopes construction can begin early next year and that it would provide badly needed jobs for up to 6,000 Palestinians, a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

But officials and experts have noted the complexity of starting the project as Israeli authorities control security, water resources and Jewish settlements in the region.