Saudi king on landmark visit to Jordan

Jun 27, 2007, 13:43 GMT

Amman - King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia arrived in Amman Wednesday on a two-day visit to Jordan where he was set to hold talks with Jordanian King Abdullah II on the latest developments in the Middle East, foremost the Palestinian rift since Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

The Saudi monarch was accorded an exceptionally tumultuous welcome that was led by King Abdullah and senior government officials.

Thousands of people lined the street from the airport to the royal palace to salute the prominent Saudi guest, who was accompanied by a powerful government delegation including Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Ways of healing Palestinian division and re-launching the Arab-Israeli peace process on the basis of the Arab peace initiative are expected to top the Saudi-Jordanian summit talks later in the day, officials and diplomats said.

They expected Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak's call for immediate dialogue between Hamas and Fatah to receive backing from both the Saudi and Jordanian heads of state during their talks.

A meeting was also widely expected to take place between the Saudi monarch and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is due to arrive in Amman this evening, according to the Palestinian ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairy.

In an interview with the Jordanian daily newspaper al-Rai published Wednesday, the Saudi king issued an impassioned appeal to the feuding Palestinian factions to resolve their differences.

He warned that the Palestinian split would only thwart the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and benefit Israel 'which usurps Palestinian land.'

King Abdullah said that during his recent European tour, he won backing for the Arab peace plan from France, Spain and Poland.

'We hope that other influential states will follow the steps of these countries in supporting the Arab peace initiative,' the Saudi monarch said, alluding to the United States which has so far failed to back the Arab document.

The Arab blueprint envisages extending recognition to Israel by all Arab states after it pulls out from all Arab areas it occupied in the 1967 war, including East Jerusalem, and finding 'an acceptable' solution for the problem of Palestinian refugees.