Ammon News - NEW YORK (Petra) – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates’ Affairs Nasser Judeh discussed on Saturday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas bilateral relations and the latest developments in the direct peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The two sides stressed that the existing relations between the two countries run deep and expressed a common desire to increase coordination on the issue of ongoing negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israeli side.

Judeh stressed Jordan's firm position, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, in support of the Palestinians until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the lines of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on international terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Jordan, he added, considers the establishment of a Palestinian state a top Jordanian interest.

President Abbas expressed appreciation for Jordan's efforts at various levels to support the negotiations, to achieve peace and to establish a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, Judeh continued to meet with several foreign ministers and international officials and discussed with them bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest.

Judeh met with the foreign ministers of Germany, Pakistan, Greece, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and discussed with them the relations between Jordan and the respective countries, in addition to the latest developments at regional and global level.

The meetings underlined the depth of ties between Jordan and each of these countries and the need to enhance these in all fields.

The foreign ministers expressed appreciation for Jordan's efforts to achieve security and stability in the region and prevent further tension and violence.

On the other hand, Judeh met with High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Catherine Ashton and discussed bilateral relations between Jordan and the EU, and the latest developments in the region, particularly the peace process and the situation in Syria.

Talks touched on the means for the EU to extend support to Jordan to help it address the burden being borne by the Kingdom as a result of hosting a large number of Syrians, who fled to Jordan as a result of the unrest in Syria. The two noted the need to increase the aid in the light of the approaching winter and the rising numbers still coming from Syria.

The minister also met with the officials from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and highlighted the burden being borne by Jordan for hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.