VATICAN CITY, Jan 15 (AFP -NT) - John Paul II on Saturday warned that peace in the Middle East could prove ephermeral unless a lasting solution was found for Jerusalem in negotiations due later this year. In a speech to diplomats gathered here for his annual New Year's greetings, the pope praised the peace process which led to the creation of a Palestinian representative office here last year, as well as the resumption of diplomatic ties with Israel a year ago. Under the Israel-PLO self-rule accord, Jerusalem will be discussed in the final stage of bilateral negotiations, scheduled for 1996. "The religious and universal dimension of the Holy City demands a commitment on the part of the whole international community, in order to ensure that the City preserves its uniqueness and retains its living character." He warned that the holy places "would lose much of their significance if they were not permanently surrounded by active communities of Jews, Christians, and Moslems, enjoying true freedom of conscience and religion." AFP /AA1234/131402 GMT JAN 96

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