( dpa ) - US President George W Bush spoke by telephone Saturday with Jordan's King Abdullah II, repeating his pledge to end the Middle East conflict after the US president's visit this week to Israel and the Palestinian territories, the Jordanian royal court said.
"The US president reviewed the outcome of his talks with Palestinian and Israeli officials, asserting the administration's commitment to bring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to an end and achieve peace in accordance with the two-state formula," a court statement said.
King Abdullah stressed the need to achieve "tangible and real progress in the coming weeks and months" in the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
"He underscored the importance of continuing the present US and world momentum with a view to pushing the peace process ahead in accordance with a clear mechanism and timetable in the run-up for the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the entirety of the Palestinian soil," the statement said.
The monarch also praised Bush's remarks that called for "ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and addressing all core issues."
Bush on Thursday said he was confident a comprehensive peace deal could be in place by the end of 2008, calling the establishment of a Palestinian state "long overdue." dpa ajm cc