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Ammon News - RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories - US Secretary of State John Kerry is to visit Amman “within days,” Jordan’s top diplomat said on Sunday after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that were focused on US peace efforts.

Speaking at a joint press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said his talks with Abbas had focused on Kerry’s intensive efforts to revive peace talks after a hiatus of nearly three years.

“As we know, there is a major effort by the Americans at this time to return to negotiations and my visit is part of this effort,” he said at the news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Malki.

“Kerry has been in Jordan three times already and he will be back for a fourth visit within days,” Judeh said, without saying who Kerry would meet or whether he would also travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Judeh said he had onpassed a letter from Jordan’s King Abdullah to Abbas, without giving details.

Malki said the visit was to ensure “coordination” between Jordan and the Palestinian leadership. He did not elaborate.

Over the past four months, Kerry has been engaged in an intensive bout of shuttle diplomacy aimed at finding a way back to some form of direct negotiations. He last visited Jerusalem and Ramallah on May 23-24 for what was his fourth visit in just over two months.

On Thursday, he spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his concern over Israel’s plans to advance the construction of more than 1,000 homes in annexed east Jerusalem and to discuss peace efforts.

Kerry phoned Abbas on Friday morning and again on Saturday, Palestinian officials said. - AFP