Russia, Jordan have common approaches to vital contemporary problems

Russia and Jordan are building their relations on the basis of common approaches to vital contemporary problems and mutual respect of national interests, official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

King Abdullah II of Jordan is currently visiting Moscow.

Yakovenko pointed to the important role of cooperation between the two countries in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. "Russia and Jordan consider that only coordinated efforts of all interested sides, including the four international intermediaries, can ensure the soonest settlement in Palestine on the basis of the UN Security Council's resolutions and the Madrid principles, for instance, the 'land for peace' formula," the Russian diplomat stressed.

According to Yakovenko, Moscow and Amman have common standpoints on another "hot" Mideastern problem - the situation around Iraq. Both countries "come out for the soonest just settlement of the Iraqi problem only by political and diplomatic means," Yakovenko noted. This "could guarantee the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council's resolutions on Iraq and to withdraw the international sanctions concerning that country, which infringe upon the interests of civilians," the diplomat concluded.