His Majesty King Abdullah II stressed his support for the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and the steps taken by the Palestinian government towards the implementation of the "road map."

During a meeting which was held today at the Royal Hashemite Court, King Abdullah II said that Israel should take practical steps to implement the "road map" and should freeze settlement activities, release Palestinian prisoners and take necessary measures to ease restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and improve their living conditions.

His Majesty expressed his hope that the discussions Prime Minister Abbas will hold with US President Bush on Friday would have positive results in accelerating the Peace Process. His Majesty indicated that it is imperative to seize the opportunity available now and bring an end to the Israeli occupation and reach a lasting peace in the region.

His Majesty King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Abbas asserted that the Palestinian issue cannot be dealt with from a security perspective only but should be addressed from a political dimension as well.

His Majesty and Prime Minister Abbas stressed that US continued support of the "road map" is necessary and essential at this stage. King Abdullah II emphasized that Jordan will continue its contacts with the US Administration and other international stakeholders to rally support to the Palestinian position.

During the meeting which was held in the presence of the Prime Minster, Minister of the Royal Hashemite Court, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Speaker of Palestinian Legislative Council, Palestinian Internal Security Minster, Palestinian charge d' affairs in Amman, Prime Minister Abbas expressed the appreciation of the Palestinian people to His Majesty and to the position of Jordan which has always been supportive to the Palestinian cause.

Prime Minister Abbas pointed out that the Palestinian government has adopted several initiatives to maintain security, but he stressed that Israel should take similar measures on the ground to build trust and support the "road map."