Washington, Mar. 21, SPA -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has expressed his belief that the Arab peace initiative presented by Saudi Arabia in 2002 is considered as one of the pillars that will facilitate the peace process in the Middle East. He expressed his optimism about this initiative, saying that it has the possibility of moving forward the peace process which is halted for a long time. These comments came in an interview with Voice of America, which was broadcast on the eve of the Secretary General's first visit to the Middle East since his appointment. Ban said "it is encouraging that Americans and Israelis are trying currently to review the Arab peace process. I know that there are still reservations from the Israeli side, but one can not be fully satisfied with one or two agreements. We must build good principles on this." He also stated that he will urge the Palestinian national unity government to adopt and respect the principles established by the Quartet, saying it is important for the concerned parties to respect the right of existence and engage in dialogue without resorting to violence. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/434416