His Majesty King Abdullah and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei held talks Wednesday in Darussalam on Middle East issues and means to enhance bilateral relations. The two leaders underlined the importance of enhancing private sector cooperation in both countries. The King briefed the Sultan on investment opportunities in Jordan and talked about the possibility of allocating seats for Brunei students at Jordanian universities.



The two leaders called for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and said the coming stage was "critical" for the Palestinians' future. The King, meanwhile, reiterated the importance of supporting Iraq's political process in Iraq, and warned against attempts to incite sedition among Iraqis. He also spoke about his efforts to elucidate the essence of Islam as a faith that calls for peace and rejects violence. The two leaders urged more solidarity among Muslim countries, which, they said, should work to enhance their joint action. The King and Bolkiah reiterated their condemnation of the cartoons denigrating the Prophet Mohammad saying that such caricatures cannot be justified in the name of free expression.