Jordan Times
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Palestinian rift does not serve Palestinian national interests— Jordan, Saudi Arabia
Saudi King Abdullah arrived here Wednesday to a cheerful welcome by thousands of Jordanians who lined up the streets of
Amman to express joy at the two-day visit.
King Abdullah was at Marka Airport in eastern Amman to welcome the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on the first such
visit by a Saudi King in almost 25 years.
Shortly after the arrival, the two leaders held talks at the Royal Court on bilateral ties and regional issues, the Jordan
News Agency, Petra, reported.
They stressed their “keenness to activate coordination and consultation as well as enhance Arab unity and solidarity to help
the nation stand up to challenges facing it”.
They renewed their commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, “which expresses the genuine will of the Arabs to reach a
permanent peace to end the conflict with Israel and enable the Palestinians to establish their independent state in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip”, a Royal Court statement said.
Warning of the “serious repercussions” of the developments in the Palestinian territories, the two leaders stressed that
rift between Palestinians does not serve their national interests, mainly ending Israeli occupation and establishing an
independent state.
Palestinian infighting, they said, provides Israel with a pretext to evade its peace commitments.
King Abdullah and the Saudi Monarch reiterated their continued support for the Palestinian legitimacy represented by the
Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas.
They voiced their concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the shrinking role of the service institutions
in the Palestinian territories, particularly the Gaza Strip.
They underlined the need to end the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and improve their living conditions.
The two leaders also discussed means to activate coordination between Arab countries and the Quartet of Middle East peace
mediators to launch serious political negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis with clear objectives and a
timeframe.
On the situations in Iraq and Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia said they backed all efforts to restore security and
stability in the two countries and preserve their unity and sovereignty.
They agreed that dialogue is the ideal means to reach national consensus in the two countries, rejecting any interference
in the internal affairs of Iraq and Lebanon.
Talks between the two leaders also focused on mechanisms to cement Jordanian-Saudi cooperation in various fields, where they
stressed their keenness to build on the existing relations.
King Abdullah voiced appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s support for Jordan’s plans to overcome the harsh economic situation
caused by rising oil prices.
In 2006, trade volume between the two countries stood at around $1 billion.
The two countries are bound by several economic, trade, investment, health, educational and tourism agreements.
The Saudi leader is accompanied by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, President of General Intelligence Prince Miqrin
Ben Abdul Aziz, other royal family members and senior officials.