King holds talks with Syrian President

Amman
02 February 2005

His Majesty King Abdullah II and Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed on Wednesday the latest regional political developments and means to enhance bilateral ties.



During the talks held at Raghadan Palace in Amman, King Abdullah and Assad stressed on the importance of pushing the Middle East peace process forward on all tracks in order to help achieve peoples' aspirations of security, stability and decent life.



Pledging support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the two leaders said the international community should help the Palestinians regain their rights and achieve their goal of establishing a viable and independent state on their national soil.



Both leaders emphasized the need to support the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by Arab leaders in their Beirut Summit in 2002.



King Abdullah and the Syrian president also reiterated the need to activate joint Arab efforts ahead of the Algeria summit, scheduled for next month.



On Iraq, His Majesty the King underlined the importance of preserving Iraq's unity and stability. He described the recent Iraqi elections as an important step to ensure a better future for Iraqis, stressing at the same time that the new government should represent all Iraqi people.