Jordan Times
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Monarch, King Hamad review
regional developments
AQABA (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday held talks with King Hamad
Ben Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain focusing on the latest regional developments.
The Monarch and the Bahraini king, who arrived yesterday on a two-day official
visit to the country, also reviewed aspects of bilateral relations and the means
to activate Jordanian-Bahraini relations, particularly in the fields of economy
and commerce.
The Monarch briefed his Bahraini counterpart on the outcome of his meetings and
efforts to help revive the Middle East peace process and jump-start negotiations
between the Palestinians and the Israelis on the basis of the Arab Peace
Initiative launched during the 2002 Arab summit.
The initiative calls for a collective peace treaty with Israel, an agreed
solution to the refugee problem, a withdrawal from Arab territories occupied
since 1967 and setting up a sovereign, viable and independent Palestine in
return for the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arab states.
The two leaders agreed to intensify efforts to maintain the momentum achieved so
far to relaunch the peace process to help arrive at a just and a viable solution
to the Palestinian question.
They stressed that the upcoming Arab summit should arrive at a unified Arab
position vis-à-vis challenges facing the Arab nations and mobilise support for
the Arab Peace Initiative, which was agreed upon during the Arab summit in
Beirut five years ago.
An Arab summit will be held in Riyadh at the end of this month during which the
Palestinian question is expected to figure high on the agenda.
The two leaders stressed their support for the Palestinian Authority and
expressed hope that the formation of the new Palestinian unity government will
represent a key step to lift the blockade imposed on the Palestinians and
empower them to take part in negotiations with Israel.
The Bahraini monarch voiced his appreciation of King Abdullah’s recent speech in
the US Congress, his support for the Palestinian issue and the right of the
Palestinian people to live in peace and stability.
In addition, the two leaders expressed hope Iraq’s different sects and political
factions would reach consensus to end the violence and move on to a new phase
where the country’s sovereignty and stability would be restored.
Earlier in the day, King Abdullah and King Hamad attended military exercises in
the southern zone.