Petra News Agency
Tuesday, February 8, 2005
King Meets Abbas in Sharm Sheikh
Sharm Al Sheikh, Feb. 8 (Petra)--His Majesty King Abdullah II affirmed Jordan's
keenness to continue its efforts to rally international support for the
Palestinian leadership to enable it to move forward in the peace process until
the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state.
The King affirmed, during a meeting in Sharm Al Sheikh with President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, that the current stage is full of opportunities that should be seized to put an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieve aspirations of the Palestinian people to live in security and stability.
"returning to peace negotiations and resuming dialogue are the only guarantee to revive the peace process," the King said during the meeting which was also attended by Prime Minister Faisal Fayez, the King's Advisor for Security Affairs, Director of the Intelligence Department and President of the State Security Council General Saad Kheir, Minister of the Hashemite Royal Court Sameer Rifai and Foreign Minister Dr. Hani Mulki.
King Abdullah
affirmed that a full and sincere commitment of the Palestinian and Israeli sides
to implementing the roadmap peace
plan is the only way to realize just and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian
issue and the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state.
In this context, His Majesty stressed that efforts being exerted to push peace forward should come within the roadmap that would lead to permanent peace based on the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state living in peace side by side with Israel.
For his part, Abbas expressed appreciation and pride of efforts being exerted by His Majesty the King on all levels to help in activating and pushing the peace process forward in a way that serves the Palestinian issue and achieve the legitimate national rights of the Palestinians.
The Palestinian president, who affirmed commitment of the Palestinian side to implementing the road map, called on the Israelis to met their obligations.
The meeting was attended on the Palestinian side by Prime Minister Ahmad Qureia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Shaath, Minister of Negotiation Affairs Saeb Erekat and a number of senior Palestinian officials.