King meets UAE president in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday met United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

The meeting, held at Al Shati Palace, covered the deep-rooted bilateral ties and keenness to bolster relations across various fields, according to a Royal Court statement.

Discussions also addressed regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and the dangerous developments in Gaza, with the two sides stressing the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the delivery of adequate aid.

His Majesty stressed the need to counter extremist settler violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank, and to put a stop to violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The two leaders called for creating a political horizon for the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution, which fulfils the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, statement said.

The two sides also expressed keenness to maintain coordination on issues of mutual concern, in service of shared interests and regional security and stability.

His Majesty attended an iftar hosted by Sheikh Mohamed in his honour.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, and Jordan’s Ambassador to the UAE Nassar Habashneh attended the meeting.

From the Emirati side, UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs at the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as a number of senior officials, were in attendance.

Earlier, His Majesty was received at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Mohamed and a number of senior officials, who were also there to