Jordan says maintain status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem top priority

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday said the priority at this stage to maintain the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem that are being overseen by the Kingdom, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan will continue to play its historic and religious role towards the holy sites in Jerusalem with full commitment and seriousness, the king said at a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in Amman Sunday.

The Jordanian monarch voiced his concern over the serious development in Jerusalem and the holy sites, stressing that committing to the status quo at the holy sites will end violence.

At a press conference in Amman Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was committed to maintaining the unchanged status quo on holy sites in Jerusalem.

Kerry said Netanyahu has agreed to an excellent suggestion by King Abdullah, to provide 24-hour video coverage of all sites" on Al Haram Al Sharif, saying "This will provide comprehensive visibility and transparency and that could really be a game changer in discouraging anybody from disturbing the sanctity of this holy site.

King Abdullah expressed hope that this will lead to resuming peace talks and addressing core issues through negotiations, which is an issue of top priority.

The Czech official stressed his country's support to efforts to resume negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

He stressed that the two-state solution is the key to peace between the two sides.

Also Sunday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour met with the Czech official and discussed developments in the Middle East and bilateral ties. Enditem