His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said the Middle East was witnessing a unique opportunity for restarting efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace.

The King told reporters following talks with President Vladimir Putin that he spoke to the Russian leader about the importance of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is the core issue in the region.

King Abdullah said that the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators of Russia, the US, EU and the UN should support the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which offered Israel normal ties in return for the Israeli withdrawal from territories seized in the 1967 war.

The King added that as a member of the Quartet, Russia has an important role to play.

His Majesty also said that he agreed with President Putin that negotiations towards the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state should be accelerated.

Putin, who described his talks with King Abdullah as “constructive and important”, held talks with Abbas at the Queen Alia International Airport before leaving Jordan, stressing during the brief meeting the importance of an “efficient” new Palestinian government of national unity.

Putin also pressed his plan for a regional conference to unblock the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“We confirm our call for a broad international conference in the Middle East and we see the number of supporters of this proposal growing,” Putin said in a statement he read to reporters as he stood alongside King Abdullah.

The Jordan Times