AMMAN -- His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday held talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and former US president Bill Clinton on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
On Sunday, a meeting took place between His Majesty and US State Secretary John Kerry.
Discussions during the Monday meetings, attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, focused on bilateral ties and the latest regional developments, especially regarding the Syrian crisis, in addition to efforts to bring about regional peace, according to a Royal Court statement.
The King discussed with Fischer prospects for further cooperation between Jordan and Austria at all levels.
The Monarch underlined the importance of reaching an international consensus to come up with a political, comprehensive and transitional solution for the Syrian crisis that would end the bloodshed and violence and protect the cohesion of Syria and its people.
He cited the burden Jordan is enduring due to the huge number of Syrians residing in its territory, calling on the UN as well as donor countries and organisations to support the Kingdom in order to mitigate the pressure and help it continue providing humanitarian services for Syrian refugees.
King Abdullah also urged the international community to support efforts geared towards bringing about peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution in order to resolve the final status issues and arrive at the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state on its national soil.
His Majesty expressed the Kingdom's gratitude for the aid provided by Austria to serve the Syrian refugees in Jordan.
For his part, Fischer commended Jordan's humanitarian efforts in hosting Syrian refugees and providing them with basic services despite its scarce resources, the statement said.
The Austrian president also lauded King Abdullah's "wisdom" in dealing with the challenges facing the Middle East and his continued efforts to achieve peace, security and stability in the region.
The King discussed with Clinton the need for the international community to work towards a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis that ensures an end to the violence, bloodshed and suffering of the Syrian people within and outside Syria.
On the Mideast peace process, he called for seizing the moment and building on the efforts of the US administration and the concerned international and Arab parties to achieve concrete progress.
They also discussed how the Clinton Foundation can galvanise international efforts to support Jordan in carrying the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.
For his part, Clinton commended Jordan's services to Syrian refugees and its role in supporting the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King's Office Director Imad Fakhoury, Jordan's Ambassador to the US Alia Bouran and Jordan's Permanent Representative to the UN HH Prince Zeid Bin Raad attended the two meetings.
On Sunday King Abdullah and Kerry discussed the latest regional developments, especially repercussions of the Syrian crisis on the wider region and efforts to achieve Middle East peace during a meeting in New York.
The Monarch stressed the Kingdom's support of a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis that will end the tragedy of the Syrian people and the ongoing conflict and put an end to the dangers of chemical weapons, according to the Royal Court.
The King highlighted the responsibilities borne by Jordan as a result of hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees in the region, over 580,000 according to recent government estimates, and the pressure that this influx is putting on Jordan's limited resources and capabilities, the statement added.
Commending the Kingdom's relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, Kerry expressed the US' support for Jordan in handling the plight of the Syrian refugees.
Discussions also dealt with Kerry's efforts to bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table, and the newly revived peace talks that are currently under way. King Abdullah stressed that implementing the two-state solution is the sole means to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, noting that the formula enjoys Arab and international consensus, the statement said.
Kerry briefed the King on the efforts exerted by the US administration to guarantee tangible progress in the peace talks, expressing his appreciation of the continuous work King Abdullah is doing with all parties involved to achieve regional peace and stability.
The King's meeting with Kerry is the first of a series of meetings that His Majesty will hold on the sidelines of his participation in the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting which began Monday, according to the statement.
© Jordan Times 2013
