Shimon Peres
Photo: Hagai Aharon
Peres initiates Mideast financial project
Project to involve Israel, Jordan, and PA; Peres met with Abbas to discuss initiative
Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres has initiated a joint economic project between Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians along the Syrian-African break, stretching from Eilat to the Sea of Galilee.
Peres met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the project, which will see joint industrial sites built with international encouragement along the region and in the Jordan valley.
Joint information centers with representatives from Jordan, Israel and the PA will also be established.
"I plan on building this initiative along 400 kilometers (about 216 miles), as an Israeli economic foundation, which will stand alongside Kadima's economic plan," Peres told Channel 10 television.
"I already had the approval of (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon before his illness, the approval of (Acting Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert, King Abdullah, and Abbas himself. For 330 kilometers (178 miles), the border with Jordan, we have no security problem. For 70 kilometers (38 miles) we have a problem with the Palestinians, but we can solve that in order to advance the joint economic project," said Peres.
Since Peres resigned from Labor and joined Kadima, he has been occupied with the project he uncovered Thursday evening.
