AQABA, Jordan: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in Aqaba for talks with King Abdullah II on aiding the Palestinians amid a growing Western boycott, an official with Jordan s royal court told AFP. As soon as he landed, Mubarak went immediately from Aqaba s airport to Abdullah s palace for talks on the situation in the Palestinian territories and ways to help the Palestinian people surmount their economic crisis , the official said. The other topic on the agenda was the latest political and security developments in Iraq. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries to have peace agreements with Israel and rank among the United States closest allies in the region. The United States and the European Union have suspended direct aid to the Palestinian Authority after a government led by Islamic militant group Hamas took power in March following its upset parliamentary election win in January. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abdul Gheit and his Jordan counterpart Abdel Islah Khatib were scheduled to give a joint press conference at the end of Mubarak s visit. AFP
Mubarak arrives in Jordan for talks with king
