Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib on Wednesday expressed astonishment at a news report published in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot which claimed that Jordan's King blamed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat of the ongoing violence in the Palestinian territories.
The paper claimed that Arafat emerged with a sullen face from his last meeting with the Jordanian monarch last week.
Khatib said the Jordanian and Palestinian leaderships fully realize "the ends behind these attempts" to harm Jordanian-Palestinian relations, according to a statement carried by the official Jordanian news agency Petra.
"Our Palestinian brothers realize more than others Jordan's support for them and King Abdullah's keenness on supporting the Palestinian positions under all circumstances and at various regional and international fronts," Khatib stressed.
He said President Arafat realizes more than anyone else the special Jordanian-Palestinian relationship, the nature of his meetings with the King and the objectives behind them.
"Jordan with all its potentials stands firm beside the Palestinian brothers and calls for dealing with the Palestinians as full partners in the peace negotiations," added Khatib - Albawaba.com
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