His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with Vatican top diplomat Archbishop Dominique Mamberti and discussed means to boost cooperation to entrench values of tolerance and coexistence.

King Abdullah underlined Jordan’s commitment to be a model of coexistence between Muslims and Christians, citing “A Common Word” initiative and a conference held in Jordan earlier this year on challenges facing Christians in the Arab world and its recommendations to preserve the existence of Christians in the region.

Talks also covered means to bring about peace between the Palestinians and Israelis according to the two-state solution and the international terms of reference.

The King stressed the need to establish an independent Palestinian state on its national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital to live side-by-side with Israel.

His Majesty cited the continued Israeli violations and attempts to Judaise Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian sites, which he said threaten regional stability and security, stressing the importance of the Vatican’s role in supporting efforts to preserve the identity of Jerusalem and protect its holy sites.

Calling on churches to unite against Israel’s unilateral practices, the King said the agreement signed with the Palestinian side earlier this year to reaffirm the Hashemites’ role as custodians of Jerusalem’s holy sites is a “responsibility we are proud to carry”.

For his part, Mamberti, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, voiced his appreciation of His Majesty’s efforts to maintain the Arab Christian presence in the Middle East.

The diplomat also conveyed Pope Francis’ greetings to the King, thanking him for his recent visit to the Vatican.

Last week, Mamberti met with Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and said that arrangements were being made for a visit by the Pope to the holy land next year, starting from Jordan, after His Majesty invited him to visit the Kingdom.