The Pentagon said that Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed in the Jordanian capital with the King of the country the tension in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the need to restore calm, in addition to the importance of reaching a just political solution in Syria, and the security and stability of Iraq.
And she added - in a statement following the minister's meeting with King Abdullah II, in Amman - that Austin discussed with Abdullah II confronting the destabilizing activities of the region.
The statement stated that Austin discussed with the king regional security cooperation and initiatives to strengthen bilateral security relations, and also discussed with him the importance of reaching a just political solution in Syria and the security and stability of Iraq.
On the other hand, the Pentagon said that the Aqaba meeting - which 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.
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.
A statement issued by the Royal Court yesterday said that King Abdullah stressed, during his meeting with the US Secretary of Defense, who is visiting the region, the "necessity of calm and de-escalation in the Palestinian territories and the cessation of any unilateral measures that destabilize stability and undermine the chances of achieving peace."
Abdullah II also stressed the "need to intensify efforts" to find "a political horizon that paves the way for re-launching negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis to reach a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution."
The US Secretary of Defense arrived in Jordan yesterday at the start of a Middle East tour that also includes Israel and Egypt, and aims to show his country's support for the main allies in the region in the face of what US officials described as "the growing threat posed by Iran."