The US Department of Defense announced that the Aqaba meeting between the Palestinians and the Israelis stressed the need to calm tensions and work to achieve a just and lasting peace between the two sides.
The Pentagon said on Monday that the "Aqaba meeting" that took place between the Israelis and the Palestinians stressed "the need to calm tensions and work to achieve a just and lasting peace" between the two sides.
This came in a statement by the ministry following the meeting of Defense Minister Lloyd Austin with King Abdullah II of Jordan in the capital, Amman.
The statement stated that Austin met with the King of Jordan on Sunday evening and discussed with him regional security cooperation and initiatives to enhance bilateral security relations.
Austin expressed his gratitude to the king for hosting the recent meeting in Aqaba, which "reaffirmed the need to calm tensions and work to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," according to the statement.
The US Secretary discussed with the Jordanian monarch "the escalation of tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem," stressing "the need to restore calm," according to the statement.
Austin's visit to Jordan comes at the start of a Middle Eastern tour that also includes Israel and Egypt.
In the meeting, the US Secretary reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Jordan's security, stressing Washington's commitment to the security and stability of the region.
The statement indicated that Austin shared with the King of Jordan his concerns about a set of common challenges, including "the importance of reaching a just political solution in Syria, focusing on security and stability in Iraq, and confronting other destabilizing activities in the region."
Minister Austin reaffirmed the Biden administration's intention to deepen economic and military cooperation with Jordan, on the basis of the US-Jordanian memorandum of understanding worth $10.15 billion for a period of 7 years, according to the statement.
Austin praised the professionalism of the Jordanian Armed Forces and highlighted his appreciation for the military cooperation between the United States and Jordan.
He also expressed his gratitude for Jordan's contributions to regional security cooperation, especially efforts to facilitate integrated maritime, air and missile defense cooperation with allies and partners.
On February 26, a meeting was held between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, in the presence of representatives of the United States, Jordan and Egypt, in the city of Aqaba, in southern Jordan.
The Palestinian and Israeli sides agreed at the Aqaba meeting to stop unilateral measures for specific months.
They also agreed to hold a meeting again in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh this March to achieve the goals discussed at the Aqaba summit.
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