King Abdullah II, US deputy secretary of state discuss ties, Mideast

His Majesty King Abdullah II received on Wednesday US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, currently visiting Jordan as part of a tour of the region, and discussed the latest developments in the region as well as efforts to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The King voiced Jordan's support for the US-brokered Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on the two-state solution, international legitimacy resolutions as well as the Arab Peace Initiative that should eventually lead to the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state as per the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. His Majesty said that the protection of Jordan's higher national interests is a top Jordanian priority, especially in relation to final status issues, stressing at the same time the importance of preserving and protecting the rights of the Palestinian people. On the crisis in Syria, King Abdullah reiterated Jordan's support to efforts that aim at arriving at a comprehensive political solution that ends the suffering of the Syrian people. The Kng also spoke about the burden being shouldered by Jordan as a result of hosting a large number of Syrian refugees and providing them with humanitarian services and relief. Talks during the meeting, which was attended by Royal Court chief, director of the King's Office and the US ambassador in Amman, also dealt with ways of forging closer ties between the two countries in various fields.