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Israel PM meets king on surprise Jordan visit

28 July 2010 02:00 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on the Middle East peace process during a previously unannounced visit to Amman on Tuesday, the palace said, APA reports quoting AFP.
The visit comes as Israel and the Palestinians are at loggerheads over holding direct peace talks and ahead of an Arab League meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who is currently in the Jordanian capital.
"The king and the prime minister discussed means to achieve progress in efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in line with a two-state solution," a palace statement said.
"They also discussed ways to create the right environment for launching direct and serious peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel."
A senior official told AFP "the meeting lasted for more than two hours during which the two men discussed in a clear and straightforward way measures that can be taken to achieve progress in the peace process."
"Jordan is trying to push for a peaceful two-state solution with all concerned parties."
Netanyahu’s office said the two leaders held "constructive discussions focused on the need to advance peace, security and prosperity in the region."
They discussed "the need to ensure direct, serious and effective negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians that would address all final status issues and create a solution of two states for two peoples in which Israelis and Palestinians will live in lasting and secure peace," it said.
On Monday, Abbas held talks with the king and denied that the Palestinians were hindering the start of direct talks with Israel after Netanyahu said they were dragging their feet.
The latest exchange indicated a lingering gap between the two sides despite months of US shuttle diplomacy and repeated calls from President Barack Obama and other leaders for the resumption of direct talks halted in December 2008.
The two leaders, whose countries have a 1994 peace treaty, last met on May 14, 2009, when Netanyahu made a surprise visit to Amman six weeks after taking office.