AMMAN (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday received René van der Linden, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), who is on a visit to the Kingdom as part of a Middle East tour.

During the meeting, they discussed means to enhance ties between Jordan and PACE as well as developments in the region.

King Abdullah stressed Jordan’s appreciation to the EU for it continued support for the Kingdom, highlighting the efforts Jordan is exerting to achieve sustainable development in all fields.

The Monarch also underlined the importance of EU support for an international conference called for by US President George W. Bush, which will be held late this year to look into means to push forward the peace process.

King Abdullah said he highly valued the EU assistance to the Palestinians, adding that it was important to continue the provision of this aid to enhance their living standards.

For his part, Linden commended the King’s continued efforts to bring about peace and stability in the region and reviewed PACE’s position on several issues in the region.

He also invited the Monarch to deliver a speech at the parliamentary assembly.

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit met with van der Linden and discusses several local, regional and international issues.

The premier reviewed the situation in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and the region, in addition to the recent municipal elections and preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

He also referred to the Arab Peace Initiative, stressing its role in realising progress on the Palestinian issue, which he described as the core conflict in the region.

Bakhit said the 2002 initiative, which offers Israel normal ties with the Arab countries in return for withdrawal from territories it occupied in 1967, meets the demands of all parties in the region as it works to restore security and paves the way for peaceful coexistence between the region’s nations.

The premier also referred to the Amman Message, which was launched in November 2004 to clarify the true image of Islam as a religion of tolerance and moderation.

Also yesterday, Senate President Zeid Rifai met with the PACE president and highlighted Jordan’s role under the leadership of King Abdullah in supporting efforts exerted to revive the peace process and resume Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

For his part, Linden said his visit is designed to look into the latest developments on the peace process and the role European parliamentarians can play to push forward negotiations.

Earlier in the day, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali also met with Linden and discussed bilateral relations as well as latest political developments in the region.

The two officials discussed the regional situation, mainly in the Palestinian territories and in Iraq, and their impact on Jordan and the region.

Majali referred to the Kingdom’s reform initiative in various fields to achieve comprehensive development and enhance popular participation in the different sectors.

Van der Linden will head to Israel and the Palestinian territories today, according to a statement released by his office.

In Israel, he is scheduled to meet President Shimon Peres and Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon, as well as the Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik. He will also meet the chief rabbis in Israel and participate in an inter-religious forum.

In Palestine, the PACE president plans to hold talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, as well as PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian Legislative Council Second Deputy Speaker Hassan Khreishe, among others.

He is also due to visit the tomb of the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat and meet the families of PLC members detained by the Israeli authorities, the statement added.

The parliamentary assembly - made up of 318 parliamentarians from the 47 Council of Europe member states - regularly debates the situation in the Middle East and brings together parliamentarians from all sides in the conflict.