Bringing Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table is in the best interest of Jordan and Germany, His Majesty King Abdullah said on Tuesday, warning that the continued lack of peace will destabilise the region.

“It is in our vested interest, both Jordan and Germany, to make sure that Israelis and Palestinians go back to the peace table, and we will be working with the Europeans to see how we can achieve that.”

King Abdullah dicussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Nov 29 efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and the challenges facing the region. The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and means to develop them in all fields.

During the meeting, the King highlighted the important role that Germany and the EU play in increasing international efforts to revive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, stressing that negotiations must lead to an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, living in peace with Israel.

“We discussed the peace process or lack thereof and how much of a destabilising effect this is going to have on the progress of the whole region,” His Majesty said at a joint press conference with Merkel.

“We noted the importance of continued financial support to the Palestinian National Authority. It is crucial that they continue to get financial support to build the infrastructure and improve the economy,” the King said, calling on Israel to unfreeze their transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinians.

“We hope that the Israelis will look at releasing their funding, which will have a direct impact on obviously school, hospitals and vital needs of the Palestinian people,” His Majesty  told reporters.

“We have also underscored the need for the Israeli government to halt settlement activity, which is particularly affecting the resumption of talks and we are very concerned about the settlement activity that we see in East Jerusalem.”

“We spoke very briefly about Syria, and again, we underscored the decision taken by the Arab League recently,” King Abdullah continued, stressing that the Kingdom is part of the Arab consensus.

“We in Jordan do not believe in military intervention into Syria but the implications of what is going on are alarming especially on the humanitarian level,” he warned.
His Majesty  noted that Jordan will be part of the Arab League’s technical committees to “see what Jordan’s role is in the economic sanctions and how these discussions will affect Jordan”.

For her part, Merkel said Germany is working to revive Middle East peace talks, expressing concern over the lack of progress.

She commended the Arab League’s actions regarding Syria, voicing Germany’s support for the pan-Arab body’s decision to impose sanctions on the Syrian regime, a course of action in line with the EU’s policy regarding the troubled country.

On bilateral ties, the King expressed his pride in the “unique” ties between Jordan and Germany, noting that the two countries “see eye to eye” on most issues.

“I am very encouraged by the level of cooperation and especially successful joint projects, such as the German Jordanian University,” he said, voicing hope that the two nations will “build on that potential”.

“We have talked about the Arab Spring and about the development of political reform in Jordan,” the King  said.

Merkel commended the steps that Jordan has taken to achieve reforms, noting that Germany will remain a friend and supporter. She added that her country will increase its cooperation with Jordan in the field of renewable energy.

The two leaders also discussed the investment opportunities in the Kingdom. “We think there are a lot of German firms that have tremendous opportunities in Jordan not only because of our stability and human resources in mining, energy, renewable energies and infrastructure, but also as a gateway to the countries in our region,” the King said.

During his visit to Berlin, His Majesty also met with President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert and members of the Bundestag’s committee on foreign affairs, briefing them on Jordan’s ties with Germany and its stance on regional developments and the peace process.

The committee members commended Jordan’s comprehensive reform drive and offered their country’s experience in political and legislative fields.

The King also received at his residence in Berlin German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to discuss regional developments and bilateral ties.

His Royal Highness Prince Talal, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King’s Office Director Imad Fakhoury and Jordan’s Ambassador in Berlin Mazen Tal accompanied His Majesty during his visit.