Jordan's King Abdallah conferred yesterday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and other senior officials who attend a landmark meeting of the Central Committee of the mainstream group, Fatah, and urged them to "close ranks" ahead of Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip. The pullout from Gaza, he said, should pave the way for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. "The forthcoming stage is an important one and carries significant implications, hence Palestinians should close ranks and unite efforts with a view to building institutions that pave the ground for the setting up of a viable and independent Palestinian state," the statement from the Royal Court quoted the king as saying.Abdallah reiterated Jordan's stand that the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which is set for mid-August, "should lead to a similar pullout from the West Bank as enshrined in the road map and UN resolutions". He renewed his country's readiness to help the Palestinian Authority rebuild its "security and civic institutions so that they become capable of maintaining security and stability in the Palestinian territories".