Bush makes assurances to King Abdullah over the peace process
Jordan-USA, Politics, 5/7/2004

The Jordanian King Abdullah II made talks in Washington with the US President George W. Bush in an attempt to get assurances concerning final settlement issues for the Palestinian question, especially the rights of more than 1.7 million Palestinian refugees with the majority of them live in Jordan since 1948.

Bush said following the meeting that he had discussed a proposal made by the king to "explain the American position " concerning the final Israeli- Palestinian settlement in order to achieve " a just and comprehensive peace and establish an independent Palestinian state " living in peace beside Israel.

He said he will send a person to the Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qurei' in which he explains his view point concerning the peace process, noting he will expand the circle of dialogue between the US and the Palestinians.

He explained that the final status of the main issues in the region should come out through negotiations between all sides, stressing that the US will not take a prior position from these negotiations.

He added he understands that Jordan has an interest to maintaining a Palestinian- Israeli settlement and the stability of Iraq, adding that Washington will oppose every thing threatening the interests of the Kingdom.

For his part, the Jordanian king expressed his optimism over the results of the talks he had made with Bush over the settlement. He said in a joint press conference at the White House "I am very encouraged over what I have always seen as a committed position by the president of the US concerning the peace process." The King said that President Bush was the first to debate clearly the establishment of a viable state and "drawing the mechanism for the Roadmap for this state." He expressed his hope that Bush statements will please the other sides in the Middle east.

He stressed that a unilateral Israeli withdrawal "should be in the context of the Roadmap and within the confines of your vision to establish an independent Palestinian state," warning that "failure will impose other options that threaten the interests of my country and the region."

Previous Stories:
  Powell: the Jordanian king will get the guarantees   (5/6/2004)
  Bush refused to give King Abdullah guarantees to compensate the Palestinians   (5/5/2004)
  King Abdullah postpones meeting with Bush   (4/20/2004)

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