Amman — Jordan’s King Abdallah II flew to Damascus yesterday for talks with Syrian President Bashar al Assad on the latest Middle East developments, government officials said.
Last week’s re-launch in Washington of face-to-face negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel is expected to top the monarch’s talks with the Syrian leader, they added.
King Abdallah was also expected to brief Al Assad on the outcome of his talks in Washington last week with US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
The four leaders were in Washington to take part in a six-way meeting that preceded the re-launch of the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Thursday.
Syria is one of the hard-line Arab states which oppose holding direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians at this juncture, citing the Jewish state’s determination to go ahead with building settlements. King Abdallah warned on Sunday that the entire world “will pay the price if the direct talks fail”.
He said that Obama had assured him of is “personal commitment” to achieving Middle East peace based on the two-state vision -the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that lives in peace with Israel.
Jordan supports the conclusion of comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours, including Syria. — dpa