THE HAGUE/AMMAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Monday that his country would help Palestinians in their presidential elections by loosing restrictions on the movement of Palestinians.

    "We'll do everything we can in order to remove any obstacles that they might face in their preparations to have their elections," Shalom told a press briefing after a surprising meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Nabil Shaath on the sidelines of a EU-Mediterranean meeting in The Hague.

    He said the meeting came at a "time of great opportunity and hope for our region."

    Shalom said he and Shaath agreed to "try to be as positive as we can in order to find ways to narrow the gaps, even while we disagree about the substance."

    He added that he had assured his European Union (EU) counterparts that his country would do everything possible to ensure the smooth running of the elections.

    The meeting between Shalom and Shaath was the first after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died on Nov. 11, raising hopes of resumed Middle East peace talks after four years of bloodshed.

    Meanwhile, the EU urged the two sides to make more peace efforts by grasping the "window of opportunity."

    The window of opportunity has been created by the constructive approach taken by all sides, said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

    The EU will support the Palestinian elections to be held on Jan.9 both politically and financially, Bot said.

    Both Palestine and Israel are members of a regional forum called "EU-Mediterranean partnership." Foreign ministers from the 25-nation EU bloc and its Mediterranean neighbors, including Egypt,Turkey and Syria, are meeting in The Hague to discuss ways to enhance political, economic and cultural cooperation.

    On the same day in New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Palestinians and Israelis to abandon violence and resume peace talks under the landmark roadmap peace plan for the Middle East.

    "It is high time that it be given a chance to succeed, and the parties begin to live up to their commitments under it," said Annan.

    In Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah II reaffirmed his country's keenness on maintaining the Palestinian people's unity and supporting the Palestinian elections.

    At a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, and Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee, the king also stressed the importance of seizing the current opportunity to resume efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state as soon as possible.

    Jordan will continue its efforts to create suitable climate forthe Palestinian elections with a view to achieving the aspirations of the Palestinian people, King Abdullah II said.

    In Ramallah, the Palestinian National Authority on Monday issued instructions to local official mass media not to release any incitement materials against Israel, while in Gaza, Hassan Yousef, senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), proposed halting armed attacks against Israel during the Palestinian presidential elections. Enditem