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Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra)--His Majesty King Abdullah II on Sunday congratulated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian people on the "historic achievement" after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine to a nonmember observer state of the United Nations.

At a meeting with President Abbas in Amman today, the King said this strategic accomplishment is a major step towards establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state and enabling the Palestinians to regain their legitimate rights.

The King hailed efforts of president Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to achieve this objective, stressing the need to build on this achievement to highlight the Palestinians people's just cause.

The King and Abbas agreed to continue coordination and consultations on steps needed to renew momentum to the peace process through the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations to address all final status issues.

King Abdullah's renewed Jordan's support to the Palestinians in their efforts to establish an independent state on the 1967 borders in line with the two-state solution.

"This requires unifying Palestinian tanks and the participation of all Palestinian political forces in the process of building a secure and promising future that fulfill aspirations of the Palestinians for freedom and independence," he added.

The King and the Palestinian president strongly condemned a decision by the Israeli government to approve the construction of 3,000 new housing units in the occupied Palestinian lands, saying such an unacceptable measure will undermine efforts to bring about peace in the region.

The Palestinian president thanked His Majesty for his continued support to the Palestinian issue at all international forums.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensuor, Royal Court Chief Riyad Abu Karaki, Director of the King's Office Imad Fakhoury, Secretary of the PLO's Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo and the Palestinian Ambassador to Jordan Atallah Khairi.

Following the meeting, the Palestinian president said in a press statement that his meeting with the King comes within joint coordination between the two leaderships.

Earlier, President Abbas was accorded an official reception at Al Hummar Royal palace led by King Abdullah and attended by a number of top officials.

The two leaders reviewed a guard of honor as a military band played the national anthems of Jordan and Palestine.