His Majesty King Abdullah II and Saudi Prince Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz, Deputy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on Monday discussed the ongoing efforts to end Israeli occupation and to resume peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. The talks also covered ways to further cement bilateral relations.

The King and Prince Abdullah stressed the necessity for an immediate action to put an end to Israeli occupation and the continuous suffering of Palestinian people resulting from Israeli military escalation.

They also urged for creating the favourable atmosphere to re-launch peace talks, which, they said should be conducted according to a specific timeline and a commitment by the concerned parties to ensure implementation within a three-year period that was set for establishing the independent Palestinian state.

King Abdullah and the Saudi Prince described the recent talks, particularly those between Palestinians and U.S. officials to stop violence, as a positive indicator designed to break the deadlock dominating the peace process, but in the meantime they warned against the continuous tragic situation and the deteriorating living conditions of the Palestinian people.

They also called on the international community to mobilize efforts and come up with a practical plan to assist the Palestinian people.

The talks, which were attended by the delegation accompanying King Abdullah and senior Saudi officials, also covered the Iraqi issue where the two sides expressed hope to end Iraq's crisis with the UN and lift the sanctions on Iraq through peaceful means and in a way that ensures implementation of UN resolutions relevant to the Iraqi issue.