Palestinian state is priority and strategic interest - King

05 September 2010
Amman , Jordan

His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday met with media officials and the chief editors of several daily newspapers to brief them on the outcomes of his participation in US-hosted peace talks.

During his visit to Washington last week, King Abdullah met separately with top leaders involved in the peace process and attended in multilateral meetings hosted by US President Barack Obama.

The meeting covered Jordan's steps to push peace efforts forward and to achieve comprehensive peace, with the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state as its main condition.

The King said Jordan considers the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil a strategic interest, noting that the Kingdom will continue to exert all efforts to support Palestinians and ensure their legitimate rights, particularly their right to liberty and a state.

He indicated that Jordan's position, which is known to everyone, is that security and stability will not be achieved in the region without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution and within a regional context that guarantees comprehensive peace according to the adopted terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative.

King Abdullah said the direct talks, launched in Washington last week, provide an opportunity to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict if they are taken seriously and if all final status issues are addressed within the context of a two-state solution.

The King warned that failure will have a negative impact on everyone and that the alternative to peace will be more conflict.

King Abdullah said that during his meeting with Obama, the US president reiterated his personal and his administration's commitment to achieve peace on the basis of the two-state solution and to be engaged actively in peace efforts. The King said the US regards Palestinian-Israeli peace to be among its national security interests.

In a response to a question, the King stressed that Jordan protects its interests and its future, and that permanent institutional mechanisms are in place to protect Jordanian interests in the negotiations.

“All parties know our stance, which we make everyone hear strongly, openly and clearly,” King Abdullah said. “Our priority is to protect our country and our future, and we are capable of this.”