Regional security, stability built on independent Palestinian statehood: Jordan king

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King Abdullah II of Jordan

Amman, (Asian independent) King Abdullah II of Jordan has said that the region will not enjoy security or stability without establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 border and with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to a royal statement.

The king made the remarks on Saturday during the Security and Development Summit held in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, which was also attended by the US President Joe Biden, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and leaders of the other Gulf Cooperation Council member states, Egypt and Iraq.

He also highlighted the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Jordanian leader also highlighted collective action as the only way to address regional challenges given the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis on supplies of energy and food.

“We must examine opportunities for cooperation and collective action, in pursuit of regional integration in food security, energy, transport and water,” he said at the summit.

Biden and the Jordanian king also met on the sidelines of the security summit, and the US later announced that no less than $1.45 billion in financial aid will be provided annually for Jordan between 2023 and 2029, according to a separate royal statement.