His Majesty King Abdullah II affirmed on Wednesday that peace and stability in the Middle East will only be achieved through ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and finding a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue.

During a meeting with an Australian parliamentary delegation currently visiting the Kingdom within a tour to the region, His Majesty said that the support of the international community to the peace process is vital to achieve waht is aspired for peace and development. He also stressed the importance of the balanced responsibilities that have been defined by the "road map" that was presented by the international Quartet.

Talks during the meeting which was attended by Royal Court Chief, also touched on bilateral ties especially in the parliamentary and economic fields.

Head of the Australian delegation Senator Ross Lightfoot expressed his country's thanks and appreciation for the participation of the Jordanian armed forces in peace keeping missions especially in East Timor.

King Abdullah also received today the Belgian Chief of Defense, Admiral Willy Herteleer and reviewed with him scopes of cooperation between Jordan and Belgium especially with regard to exchanging military expertise.