Abdullah II meets US secretary of state

Jordanian King Abdullah II on Wednesday met with US Secretary of State John Kerry and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations and efforts to achieve peace, as well as the latest developments in the region, especially the Syrian crisis. King Abdulla II stressed the importance of continued US efforts to help the Palestinian and Israeli sides to re-launch negotiations based on the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state on pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital. He affirmed that Jordan will continue to work with all parties to revive real and genuine peace negotiations that address all final status issues. During the meeting, King Abdullah referred to the Arab Peace Initiative and its importance in achieving comprehensive peace in the region, Jordan’s Petra news agency reported. He stressed the leading US role in supporting peacemaking efforts to resolve the Palestinian cause which is the crux of the conflict in the region, warning that unilateral Israeli actions and recurring attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities constitute a real obstacle to peace efforts. On Syria, King Abdulla said the growing number of Syrian refugees puts a tremendous burden on Jordan and its resources, calling on the international community to continue supporting the Kingdom. King Abdulla renewed Jordan’s call for finding a political, comprehensive and transitional solution to the Syrian crisis in a manner that preserves Syrian people unity and territorial integrity and wards off any disastrous repercussions on the region. For his part, Kerry highlighted the US efforts to achieve peace in the region and converge views between the Palestinians and the Israelis to revive the peace process, haling Jordan’s efforts led by King Abdulla II to push peacemaking forward and promote security and stability in the Middle East. He commended Jordan for hosting a large influx of Syrian refugees in its territory, stressing that the US will continue backing Jordan in this regard and urge further international community support.