Jordan's king urges Obama to speed up Mideast peace efforts

Aug 20, 2009, 21:08 GMT

Amman/Washington - King Abdullah II of Jordan and US President Barack Obama in a telephone call on Thursday discussed Mideast peace efforts and the need for a speedy resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

'The president underscored his strong support for Jordan's efforts to work with other Arab states to reach out to Israel and undertake gestures that would demonstrate the meaning of the Arab Peace Initiative,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

US Special Mideast Envoy George Mitchell is to finalize steps in the next several weeks to 'lay the groundwork for the resumption of negotiations,' Gibbs said.

During the call, Abdullah urged Obama to speed international efforts to ensure resumption of 'serious negotiations' between Israel and the Palestinians, the royal court said in a statement.

'The discussions tackled the latest efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the two-state vision and within a regional perspective that leads to the establishment of comprehensive and durable peace in the Middle East,' the statement said.

'The monarch praised the good offices being made by the US president in this respect and urged the speeding up of efforts towards re-launching serious and effective negotiations that ensure a solution for the conflict which represents the basic cause of tension in the region,' it added.

King Abdullah also 'pledged to work with Obama' for the establishment of stability and peace in the Middle East, the royal court statement said.