Jordan, Egypt and Palestine meet ahead Trump’s visit

Days before the arrival of US President Donald Trump on his first visit to the Middle East, representatives of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority have held trilateral talks in Amman, Emirates 24|7 has reported today. On the agenda were the latest developments on the Palestinian issue and attempts to revive the long-stalled “peace process”.

A statement by Sabah Al-Rafie, the foreign ministry spokesperson, confirmed that the discussions were held between the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and Saeb Erekat, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee. The officials presented the highlights of their meeting at a press conference, she added.

The Amman meeting came after separate meetings were held by Trump with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. They all addressed the issue of Israel’s illegal settlements in the wake of the Arab summit hosted by Amman in March.

Read: Jordan’s King welcomes Trump engagement in Israel-Palestine peace

Trump is scheduled to start his first official visit to the Arab region later this month when he visits Saudi Arabia before heading for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The US president will meet Abbas during a visit to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where he will go to the Church of the Nativity.

According to US national security adviser Herbert McMaster, Trump will announce America’s “aspiration to respect the right of the Palestinians to self-determination” when he meets Abbas. “Trump will discuss with President Abbas a viable and viable peace,” he added, while reaffirming with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “close US relations with the Jewish state.”

Responding to a question about the proposed trilateral summit between Trump, Abbas and Netanyahu, McMaster stressed that “this is about the president and the other two leaders.” He described the president’s visit as “historic.”