Fri, March 12, 2010
MOSCOW, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan on Thursday, with their talks focusing on the Middle East peace process.
"Our countries bear rather serious responsibility for resolving a series of regional problems. I would like to compare our positions on the Middle East issue," Medvedev was quoted by Russian news agencies as telling the king.
Medvedev also named "bilateral economic projects, defense cooperation and humanitarian interaction" as priority tasks.
Abdullah II said the relationship between Jordan and Russia was getting better and better and both countries made great progress in economic cooperation.
"Russia plays an important role in our region and the solution of regional conflicts, including the Palestinian-Israeli one," he said.
"We hope for further Russian support in bringing the Israelis and Palestinians together, especially in a light of the setback we have seen with the issue of settlements," said the king.
Israel's interior ministry said on Tuesday it approved the construction of 1,600 new settler homes in East Jerusalem.
The announcement, came after the Israeli and Palestinian sides agreed to hold indirect talks after a 15-month break, sparked swift condemnation from a number of countries including Russia.
The quartet of mediators on the Middle East, which groups Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, is scheduled to meet in Moscow on March 19 to push forward the peace process.
This is the 10th visit of King Abdullah II to Russia since he was enthroned in January 1999. He held talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, praising Russia's role in the Middle East.
