His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday urged Palestinian factions to end tension in the Palestinian territories.
At a meeting in Cairo, King Abdullah and Mubarak said they were deeply concerned about the current Palestinian situation and called for dialogue to end differences. The two leaders discussed moves to halt violence among Palestinians as a first step towards reviving the peace process with Israel.
The two leaders said it was important for the international community to demonstrate its readiness to encourage Palestinians and Israelis to return to negotiations, bring their views closer, build confidence them and contribute to the creation of favorable climate for a resumption of the peace process.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will tour the region early next week to discuss ways of moving the peace process. Rice is expected to bring new US ideas and proposals to help Palestinians, Israelis and other countries of the region to restart the peace process.
During the talks, President Mubarak updated King Abdullah about his recent meeting in Cairo with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week.
Following the meeting between the two leaders, the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers held a joint press conference to elaborate on Jordanian and Egyptian efforts underway to reinvigorate the peace process.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib told reporters that Jordan and Egypt were encouraging Palestinian factions to stop infighting and reach an internal accord for the formation of a government of technocrats or a government of national unity. The two ministers said Jordan and Egypt would exert every effort to end Palestinian infighting.
"The outcome of Palestinian fighting is devastating and will damage the region severely," he said. "We have to work in every possible way to avert it from happening and stop it immediately."
The two officials said Jordan and Egypt plan to press for agreement on final status issues between the Palestinians and Israel.
"The final settlement is a Palestinian demand and an Arab demand, and there must be agreement on the final settlement whatever steps and stages it takes," he said.
Khatib, Abul Gheit and Gulf Cooperation Council counterparts will meet next week in Kuwait with Rice. Preparations for the meeting were among the subjects discussed by King Abdullah and Mubarak.
On developments in Iraq, King Abdullah and President Mubarak expressed their support for all efforts to promote national reconciliation in the country, stressing the importance of the inclusion and participation of all Iraqis.
They urged all Iraqis to focus on strengthening national cohesion to confront the security challenges facing their country and warned against further sectarian strife, which has already claimed the lives of thousands of Iraqis.
The two leaders also urged parties in Lebanon to settle differences through dialogues.
Talks between the two leaders affirmed their keenness to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially in economy and trade. The Jordanian-Egyptian Higher Joint Committee held its last meeting in Cairo last October with an agenda aimed to further cement ties of bilateral cooperation.
The Jordanian delegation including Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, Director of the King's Office Bassem Awadallah, Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib, and Director of the General Intelligence Department Maj. General Mohammed Al Dhahabi. Egyptian officials attending the meeting included Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Director of Intelligence Maj. General Omar Suleiman, and Chief of the Presidential office Zakaria Azmi.
King Abdullah returned to Amman this afternoon.