Jordan's king meets with President Bush

King Abdullah of Jordan

May 29, 2006

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON - Jordan's King Abdullah II met with President Bush on Monday and urged him to pursue Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, repeating a plea the king made in a recent letter to the White House.

"King Abdullah underlined the importance of moving forward in the pursuit of a two-state solution as outlined in President Bush's vision for peace," the Jordanian Embassy said in a statement Monday night.

The king told Bush the Palestinian people need aid to avert a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories, the embassy statement said.

Abdullah told Bush that Jordan plans to play a key role in the peace process, the embassy said. Abdullah meets regularly with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and plans to hold a separate meeting in the next few weeks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Abdullah wrote to Bush earlier this month urging him to help restart the Mideast peace process.

The king met with Bush for a private dinner Monday during a brief visit to the United States. In addition to the Mideast peace process, the possibility of additional U.S. aid for Jordan came up during their conversation, the embassy said.

Abdullah "thanked the president for considering additional assistance to Jordan this year, at a time when Jordan's economy is facing many challenges associated with high oil prices," the statement said.

Earlier Monday, Abdullah met with Vice President Dick Cheney in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The king has been on a private visit to the United States since Friday.