His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday met with former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and discussed the Red-Dead Canal project that seeks to save the Dead Sea from drying up.

During the meeting, King Abdullah stressed the importance of implementing this vital project, which will yield positive results for Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

If implemented, it would also help address the problem of water shortage in the region and create alternative energy sources.

For his part, Peres underlined the need to pay attention to the economic situation in the region, stressing that it is important to improve the living standards of the region's peoples.

Peres said if a Palestinian state is established, Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis could constitute a model of cooperation and forge strong economic partnerships.

On the Red-Dead Canal project, Peres said governments alone could not finance the implementation of the project, stressing the important role the private sector could play in this regard.

In addition, King Abdullah and the Peres discussed prospects of future cooperation in the field of renewable energy.

Talks also covered the peace process in the Middle East in light of the Palestinian legislative elections.

The Jordan Times