By NNN-KUNA
Amman : Visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said here that the United States was committed to stabilize the Middle East and was working with Israel and the Palestinians towards this end.
The necessary means must be found to facilitate the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and shore up the Palestinian economy, a statement issued by the Jordanian Royal Diwan quoted Rice as saying during her meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan Sunday.
King Abdullah, for his part, urged for more US efforts to push forward the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, according to the statement.
The Palestinian question needs a fair settlement as early as possible, he told his guest, calling for continued economic assistance to the Palestinians who face mounting hardship.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah deemed the ongoing Israeli unilateral actions especially the excavations in Jerusalem and the settlement expansion in the occupied territories as “major obstacles to regional and international peace efforts.”
He warned against the serious repercussions of the possible failure of the peace process to the Middle East security and stability.
Such failure could deepen the state of frustration and widen the cycle of violence in the region, the statement quoted him as saying.
Later Sunday evening, Rice met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the residence of Palestinian Ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairi here. The two sides made no statements to the press following their talks.
Israel said Saturday it planned to remove 50 roadblocks in the West Bank.
Rice was scheduled to continue her talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Monday before coming back to Amman to meet Abbas again.