His Majesty King Abdullah II stressed the need to achieve real and tangible progress in the Middle East peace process that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel and meets the aspirations of the region's people to live in peace and stability.
During a meeting with US President George W. Bush at the White House, King Abdullah urged the US to intensify its efforts in the coming weeks and months, particularly after Bush's recent call for an international meeting to advance the peace process.
The King said that a just and comprehensive peace to which the Arab people aspire should emanate from a solution that addresses all outstanding issues between the Palestinians and Israel, including final status issues.
King Abdullah said that the Arab Peace Initiative has clearly demonstrated the Arab will for peace and coexistence with Israel.
During the meeting that included a dinner hosted by the US president, King Abdullah expressed appreciation for the US administration's commitment to offer assistance to the Palestinians.
King Abdullah also asserted Israel's responsibility for taking confidence-building steps, including an end to all settlement activities.
The King said that there is an immediate need to ease restrictions on Palestinian people's movement and release all tax returns now held by Israel to the Palestinian National Authority.
Talks between the two leaders also addressed the situation in Iraq. King Abdullah stressed Jordan's support to strengthen Iraq's security and unity. The King emphasized the importance of inclusion of all parties in national reconciliation efforts and in the political process as key to success.
On bilateral relations, King Abdullah expressed Jordan's appreciation for US assistance to the country, which he said has contributed to Jordan's economic development. The King noted the progress in trade and investment levels between Jordan and the US and expressed hope for strengthening bilateral economic relations.
President Bush expressed the US' commitment to support efforts to establish regional peace and stability on the basis of a two-state solution and said the US appreciated Jordan's efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
King Abdullah's meeting with President Bush comes as part of Jordan's diplomatic efforts to advance the peace process.