JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH II ON SATURDAY URGED GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL TO USE HER GOOD OFFICES TO ENSURE THAT THE G8 SUMMIT ADOPT A CALL FOR A "CEASEFIRE" BETWEEN ISRAEL AND LEBANON'S HEZBOLLAH MILITIAS, ACCORDING TO A ROYAL COURT STATEMENT,DPA REPORTED. THE STATEMENT SAID THE MONARCH'S APPEAL CAME DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH MERKEL BEFORE THE G8 SUMMIT AT THE RUSSIAN CITY OF ST PETERSBURG. "THE KING URGED MERKEL TO ENSURE THAT THE G8 SUMMIT ADOPTS AN ATTITUDE THAT CALLS FOR ENDING THE ISRAELI AGGRESSION ON LEBANON AND THE GAZA STRIP AND FOR A CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH," THE STATEMENT SAID. "THE MONARCH UNDERSCORED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE G8 SUPPORT FOR DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AIMED AT DEFUSING THE CRISIS," IT ADDED. MERKEL BRIEFED KING ABDULLAH ON "THE ROLE BEING PLAYED BY BERLIN IN COOPERATION WITH THE WORLD'S DECISION-MAKING CAPITALS WITH A VIEW TO FINDING A WAY OUT OF THE CRISIS THAT ENGULFS THE REGION," THE STATEMENT SAID.
