Jordanian Premier confers with Arafat

Jordan's prime minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb on Saturday in Amman discussed with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat the grave deteriorated conditions in the Palestinian territories as a result of the Israeli military escalation and the tightened sanction measures and the siege against the Palestinian people.

Arafat called on the international community and the ME peace process cosponsor to ensure international protection for the Palestinians against the continued Israeli aggression and escalation.

Discussions also dealt with the visit of the US secretary of state Colin Powell to the region and the need the US secretary to concentrate his efforts to halting the Israeli aggression and commitment to ME peace terms of reference.

Abu al-Ragheb expressed Jordan's backing to the Palestinian people in their attempt to establish their own independent state in their own national soil with Jerusalem as a capital and to put an end to the aggression until the atmospheres are prepared to reset the peace into its right track.