His Majesty King Abdullah II affirmed the importance of ensuring the success of efforts that aim at implementing the roadmap which provided for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands, and for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.



His Majesty said during a meeting at Beit Al-Baraka with members of the US Congress Tom Delay and Ander Crenshaw in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, that Jordan will continue to support the roadmap and exert every possible effort with various Arab and international parties to establish just peace in the Middle East.



"The majority in this region look forward to peace and we shoulder the responsibility of providing support to it to achieve peace hopes and aspirations," he said.



King Abdullah expressed satisfaction over the US support to the current peace plan, affirming that the talks that the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas held with the US President George Bush and other US officials is a positive indicator of the seriousness
of the US to accelerate the peace process.



During the meeting which was attended by the foreign and planning ministers and the US ambassador to Jordan, His Majesty underlined the importance of supporting the government of Abbas to enable it to assume power properly. "Providing dignified life for the Palestinians and improving their standards of living are important steps at this stage and these steps should be backed by the US and the international community," the King added.



His Majesty warned against evacuating Jerusalem of its Arab inhabitants especially the Christians whose numbers have declined, a fact which threatens the Christian existence in the holy city.



Talks also covered the situation in Iraq as well as bilateral ties especially with respect to the aid provided by the US government to Jordan.



Member of the Congress Delay expressed appreciation to His Majesty's peace efforts, noting that Jordan did not spare an effort to achieve peace in the Middle East.



His Majesty also met today with Commander of the US Central Command General John Abizaid in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Ben Al Hussein, His Majesty's advisor for Security Affairs and Director of the General Intelligence Department General Saad Kheir and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General General Khaled Sarayrah.



The King and General Abizaid discussed relations between Jordan and the United States as well as the latest developments in Iraq.