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United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed statements by the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers at a summit in Jordanian port city of Aqaba on Wednesday.
"The statements by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas open the way for both parties to implement the Quartet's Roadmap," Annan said in a statement issued through his spokesman.
The UN chief said he warmly welcomed the impetus given to the long-stalled Middle East peace process by the summit initiated by US President George W. Bush.
Annan called on Israelis and Palestinians to "take immediate steps as outlined in the Roadmap to maintain the momentum generated by President Bush's important initiative."
The roadmap, drawn up by the UN, the United States, the European Union and Russia, provides a vision of two states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side by 2005.
At the end of the Aqaba summit, Sharon issued a statement recognizing the Palestinians' right to establish their own state and promising to dismantle unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
For his part, Abbas announced an end of the Palestinian armed uprising against Israel and called on Palestinians to put an end to Israeli occupation through peaceful means.
(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2003)
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