His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said Israel should enter into talks with the Palestinians over final status issues as a prerequisite to the success of the US-proposed international Mideast conference.

King Abdullah said during talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Jordan supports the Palestinians' demand that Israel accept to discuss issues like Jerusalem, borders and refugees.

Abbas was in Amman to brief the King on the outcome of his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday, which focused on issues related to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

King Abdullah urged Palestinian political powers to coordinate their stands so that they would be able to stand up to the current challenges and eventually gain their legitimate rights, chief among which is a viable state on their national soil.

The King stressed the importance of continued international economic support for the Palestinians to ease their bleak living conditions, especially in the Gaza Strip.

The Jordan Times