Jordan's King Abdullah II has told Israel to set the conditions necessary for peacemaking so that an agreement with the Palestinians can be reached this year.
Abdullah's remarks came in a meeting Sunday with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, his royal palace said. The king also held separate talks with US President Bush.
Abdullah urged Bush to maintain a hands-on approach to peacemaking, while he told Livni that Israel must immediately halt settlement activities in the West Bank and end its crippling economic blockade against the Palestinians.
He said a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal must be reached this year.
