King meets Abu Dhabi crown prince, urges continued Arab, international efforts to end Israeli violations in Jerusalem, Al Aqsa

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, on Thursday at Basman Palace, held talks with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The talks, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, covered the deep-rooted ties between the two countries and regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause and the recent Israeli escalation, according to a Royal Court statement.

King Abdullah and Sheikh Mohamed stressed the need to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza and to intensify regional and international efforts to break the stalemate in the peace process and advance it forward in the upcoming period.

His Majesty urged continued Arab and international efforts to stop Israel’s recurrent illegal provocations and violations in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, which led to the recent escalation and fuel regional tension.

The King underscored the importance of building on the ceasefire in Gaza, and the international attention directed towards the Palestinian cause, to activate a political track to achieving a just and lasting peace, based on the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

His Majesty reiterated that Jordan will continue its efforts to safeguard Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in line with the Hashemite Custodianship, noting the importance of preserving the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites.

For his part, Sheikh Mohamed expressed appreciation of Jordan’s efforts, in cooperation with Egypt, to de-escalate in Gaza, noting the King’s important role as Custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem.

The crown prince of Abu Dhabi said the recent events reaffirm the importance of joint action for peace, reiterating the UAE’s support for any step in this regard, based on its firm belief in the values of peace and coexistence, and that peace guarantees a better future for the region and its peoples.

During the talks, His Majesty and Sheikh Mohamed commended the distinguished and deep-rooted relations between the two countries and peoples, expressing keenness to bolster ties across all fields.

The importance of continuing close coordination on issues of mutual concern, in service of common interests and Arab causes, was also stressed.

The crown prince of Abu Dhabi conveyed the greetings of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the King, and expressed best wishes to Jordan and its people, under His Majesty’s leadership, on the occasion of Jordan’s 75th Independence Day.

In return, the King asked Sheikh Mohamed to convey his greetings to Sheikh Khalifa, wishing the UAE and its people further progress and prosperity.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, and Director of the General Intelligence Department Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni attended the talks on the Jordanian side.

On the UAE side, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a number of senior officials, and UAE Ambassador to Jordan Ahmed Ali Mohammed Al Balushi attended the talks.

His Majesty hosted a lunch, attended by Crown Prince Hussein, in honour of the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the accompanying delegation.