Qa'dah 02, 1431 H/ Oct 10, 2010, SPA -- Finnish President Tarja Halonen held separate meetings on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Samir Rifai focusing on the efforts under way to ensure that direct talks between the Palestinians and Israel continue. "King Abdullah underscored the importance of the European role in removing obstacles impeding direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, particularly the building of settlements," dpa quoted a royal court statement as saying. Halonen arrived in Amman on Saturday at the start of a three-day state visit to Jordan. The two leaders also said they want to boost bilateral ties in the economic, trade and investment areas, the statement said.
