Ayman Safadi
Ayman SafadiReuters

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday, amid tensions with Israel over its sovereignty plans.

Safadi traveled by helicopter for the rare trip to PA headquarters, Abbas' office told AFP.

The talks were set to focus on Israel's plans to apply Israeli law to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, moves given US blessing as part its peace initiative unveiled in January.

Jordan's King Abdullah II this week raised his opposition with members of the US Congress, telling them sovereignty is "unacceptable and undermines chances of peace and stability in the region."

In the online meeting, Abdullah underlined the importance of "establishing an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state," according to a palace statement.

Safadi's visit to Ramallah is the first by a high-level foreign official since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which shut borders across the world.