AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Iraqi President Barham Saleh in Tunis ahead of the 30th Arab summit in Tunis, where His Majesty arrived earlier on Saturday to head the Jordanian delegation.

 

During talks with Abbas, King Abdullah stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian people in seeking their just and legitimate rights to establish their independent state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, a Royal Court statement said.

 

At the meeting, King Abdullah called for uniting Arab stances to overcome shared challenges.

 

He stressed that Jordan fully supports the Palestinian people in seeking their rights, affirming the Kingdom’s unwavering position on the Palestinian cause and noting that Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites are a red line.

 

The King noted the importance of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem, underscoring that Jordan will persist in undertaking its historical and religious role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship over these sites, according to the statement.

 

His Majesty reiterated a call to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by relaunching serious negotiations between the two sides, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

 

Jordan, the King said, will continue working with all active parties and the international community to create the political horizons needed to serve Palestinian interests and the rights of the Palestinian people.

 

His Majesty urged the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to address Israel’s escalatory measures and pressure Israel into ceasing them.

 

President Abbas expressed appreciation for Jordan’s key role as Hashemite Custodian of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and in defending Jerusalem, as well as defending the rights of the Palestinian people and their just cause, the statement added.

 

During the meeting, attended by senior officials, the two sides also stressed importance of maintaining coordination over the latest developments connected to the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem.

 

In talks with the Iraqi president, His Majesty discussed bilateral ties and current regional developments.

 

The two sides stressed the importance of maintaining coordination on issues of mutual concern, according to the Royal Court.

 

King Abdullah and President Saleh underscored the need to bolster joint Arab action and unify positions on various challenges facing the Arab world.

 

The two leaders called for building on the trilateral summit between Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, which was held last week to enhance ties between the three countries in service of their shared interests and the interests of the wider Arab world.

 

King Abdullah affirmed that Jordan stands with Iraq as it seeks to fulfil the aspirations of its people towards further prosperity and progress, the statement added.

 

Discussions at the meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides, covered a number of regional challenges and issues, foremost of which was the Palestinian cause and reaching a just and lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 

The need to reach political solutions to regional crises was also stressed, as well as efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach, according to the statement.