12 April 2004	Monday	21 Safar 1425

AMMAN, April 11: Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday sent a message to US President George W. Bush urging him to work for a "UN Security Council resolution" that endorses his vision for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside with Israel, according to an official statement.

"Jordan vigorously supports the President's vision for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel as a sole acceptable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the statement quoted the monarch as telling Bush with whom King Abdullah is scheduled to meet at the White House on April 21.

The monarch restated his country's viewpoint regarding Israel's planned unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, saying such a pullout "should be part of the road map rather than a substitute for it".

The king has expressed concerns over the past week that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's "disengagement plan" in the Gaza Strip could be a "a mere tactic for shifting settlers from the territory to the West Bank".

The road map, which was worked out by the Quartet 15 months ago, envisages among other things the creation of a Palestinian state before the end of 2005 as suggested by Bush in his speech in June 2002.

Jordanians also fear that the separation wall being built by Israel inside Palestinian territories could virtually exclude the creation of a Palestinian state and sets in motion a fresh wave of Palestinian immigration to Jordan that jeopardises the national security of the kingdom.

The Israeli Gaza pullout plan and the controversial separation fence are due to top King Abdullah's talks with the US president during the monarch's visit to the US, the second in six months, officials said.

"The king also expressed hope in his letter to President Bush that the world community will come up with a plan for extending all forms of aid to the Palestinians to help them rebuild their institutions," the statement said. -dpa