Amman- Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir conferred Thursday with the UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry and urged the world community to put pressure on Israel to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

"The minister underscored the importance of prompt action by the world community to end the sufferings of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip by ending the Israeli siege of the territory and re- opening crossing points to humanitarian and food aid," the statement said.

Bashir also stressed the UN role in pushing forward the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians "with a view to reaching a settlement based on the two-state solution," it added.

The Jordanian foreign minister warned against the continuation of Israel's settlement activity in the occupied territories particularly in East Jerusalem, which he said would "derail the negotiation process and jeopardize the chances of setting up an independent Palestinian state" that lives in peace with the Jewish state.

Bashir also urged the new US administration of president-elect Barack Obama "to involve itself actively in the Middle East peace process, building on what has been achieved so far between the Palestinians and Israelis," the statement said.

For his part, UN envoy Serry "renewed UN commitment to boost the process of peace and stability in the Middle East and commended Jordan's role" in this respect, the statement added. (dpa)