His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with several US media figures and intellectual and political leaders at the Brookings Institution.

During the meeting, King Abdullah said that in spite of rapid change in the region, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the core issue and that realising the legitimate rights of the Palestinians is the key to security and stability in the Middle East.

The King said the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders is the key to solving the Arab-Israeli conflict and several other problems facing the Middle East.

He also stressed the importance of international community efforts to push Palestinians and Israelis back to direct negotiations with the objective of a reaching a final settlement of the conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.

The King also described the Hamas-Fateh reconciliation agreement as an “important step” that will contribute to unifying the Palestinian internal front, improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people and enabling them to build a better future.

He also spoke about Jordan’s reform process, saying that the country is working to achieve comprehensive political, economic and social reform to improve and modernise the country.

King Abdullah expressed his confidence in the success of the reform endeavour, but also said economic challenges need to be addressed.

He highlighted the first US-Jordanian Business Forum to be held in Amman on May 21 and its role in creating job opportunities in the Kingdom.

More than 150 international business leaders representing private and public sector organisations from both countries will meet to discuss investment opportunities in Jordan.

The King also commented on the Gulf Cooperation Council’s recent announcement that Jordan’s bid for membership is under consideration. He said Jordan’s membership in the GCC move will boost cooperation and partnership between the Kingdom and the Gulf states in all spheres.