Jerusalem, 14 July 1999
PM Barak Meets with King Abdullah
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Ehud Barak, last night (Tuesday),
13.7.99, met with King Abdullah of Jordan, at the King's
Aqaba residence. The atmosphere at the meeting was
warm and positive, with an emphasis placed on the close
partnership between Israel and Jordan.
The Prime Minister updated the King on his meetings
with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat; King Abdullah
briefed the Prime Minister on his recent meetings in
Damascus. The two leaders agreed to remain in contact
during the Prime Minister's visit to the United States and
thereafter.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister and the King
conducted an exchange of views and ideas with regard
to advancing the peace process in the spirit of both the
late King Hussein and late Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin.
Also discussed, during talks between the expanded
Israeli and Jordanian delegations, were issues relating to
bilateral Israeli-Jordanian relations -- including the
Aqaba airport, water, future cooperation and the
strengthening of relations between the two countries --
and the possibility of promoting the Peres Center for
Peace project to create an oncological hospital in
Naharayim, with an initial investment of $7 million.
According to Prime Minister Barak: "Jordan's role in the
region is exceptionally important -- as demonstrated by
its contribution to efforts toward resuming the
negotiations with the Palestinians, and by the example it
offers for the establishment of peace in the Middle East."