Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday "important progress" was made during a secret meeting with Jordan's King Hussein over a water dispute.
"It appears to me that we are on our way to a solution, and progress began and even important progress was made yesterday on this subject," Netanyahu told Israel Channel One television.Netanyahu and Hussein flew to the Red Sea port of Aqaba late on Thursday to discuss the stalled Middle East peace process and the disagreements over water Israel promised the parched kingdom under their 1994 peace deal.
"The question (of water) was resolved generally within the framework of our peace agreement with Jordan, but there is a specific question of how to implement the articles of the agreement, and on this we spoke in length," Netanyahu said.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Fayez al-Tarawnah also said on Friday the meeting had brought the two sides closer to resolving the matter.
"The meeting helped to bring our viewpoints closer, but we still have to solve the technicalities of the issue and so we need to have more meetings," Tarawnah said.
Israel's National Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon, who is responsible for water, also attended the talks.
"I believe we also found solutions, and I want to emphasize there was no concession on Israel's part," said Sharon.