His Majesty King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama held a summit Tuesday on means to bring about comprehensive peace in the Middle East and resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.

At the meeting, the first for Obama with an Arab leader at the White House, the two leaders emphasised their agreement that effective measures need to be taken to end the conflict and build a comprehensive and just peace in the region.

King Abdullah and Obama emphasized the need to coordinate and consult at the highest levels in order to support efforts to move towards peace with all involved parties.

Talks also covered bilateral cooperation and highlighted the strategic relations between Jordan and the US as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of the start of diplomatic ties between them this year.

Following the meeting, King Abdullah, who conveyed the unified Arab position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to the US administration, said the meeting was a "meeting of the minds."

"We are both committed to bringing peace and stability to our part of the world. The president again reaffirmed the need for a two-state solution and to move both parties to good negotiations as quickly as possible," the King said.

Stressing that Obama showed full support and commitment to Jordan and the Arab states in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, King Abdullah said: "We believe that it is important for all of us to keep our eyes on the prize, and the prize is peace and stability, finally, for all the people of our region."

King Abdullah, who thanked Obama on behalf of Arabs and Muslims, said: "It has gone on extremely well, and really begins, I believe, a new page of mutual respect and mutual understanding between cultures."

Saying that Obama had given the region hope for a brighter future, King Abdullah added: "America cannot be left by itself to do all the heavy lifting, so a group of countries, including Jordan, will do all we can to support you, Mr. President, in your endeavours. And hopefully under your tremendous leadership we will find some peace and stability in our region."

Obama commended the King's regional and global work to achieve peace, and said King Abdullah represents a modern approach to foreign policy making in the Middle East, an approach that is able to see many different sides of an issue in order to address it in a peaceful and respectful fashion.

"We are very pleased to have been able to work so closely with his government for many years," Obama said. "It is a great friendship between two great countries and two great peoples. And I am confident that that friendship will only be strengthened."

The American president said talks also covered the peace process in the Middle East, where the two leaders stressed commitment to moving the process forward with some sense of urgency.

Obama said discussions also covered the impact that the economic crisis may be having on both countries and the need for effective international cooperation to address those issues, saying: "I am confident that in the months and years to come our partnership and our friendship will continue to grow."

In response to questions at the press conference, Obama voiced his appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Arab states in formulating the Arab Peace Initiative, calling the plan a very constructive start and adding that King Abdullah has taken great steps to ensure that the initiative is sustained.

"That is a significant achievement for which King Abdullah and others deserve credit. So we want to continue to encourage a commitment on the part of the Arab states to the peace process," Obama said.

Obama pointed out that he recently sent US Special Envoy George Mitchell, whom he described as a good negotiator, on a tour of the region, saying he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Arab officials to discuss the peace process.

Although Obama said restarting the peace process would take time, he affirmed: "I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution. I have articulated that publicly and I will articulate that privately."

He added that many Israelis also believe in a two-state solution in spite of the current position of the Israeli government.

"What we want to do is to step back from the abyss; to say, as hard as it is, as difficult as it may be, the prospect of peace still exists - but it's going to require some hard choices, it's going to require resolution on the part of all the actors involved," Obama said at the press conference.

He added that the US will be seriously involved in the peace process but cannot substitute for the decision-making of the Palestinians and Israelis.

"What we can do is create the conditions and the atmosphere and provide the help and assistance that facilitates an agreement. Ultimately they have got to make the decision that it is not in the interests of either the Palestinian people or the Israelis to perpetuate the kind of conflict that we've seen for decades now, in which generations of Palestinian and Israeli children are growing up insecure, in an atmosphere of hate," Obama added.

Following the bilateral meeting between Obama and King Abdullah, an extended meeting took place in the presence of several US officials, during which the two explored means of strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Discussions also covered the Middle East peace process and regional developments.

Also Tuesday, King Abdullah received at his residence US Vice President Joe Biden and discussed regional developments and efforts to bring about peace in accordance with the two-state solution.

Discussions also covered means to foster bilateral ties in different fields.

Later in the day, King Abdullah held talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in which he stressed the importance of re-launching serious negotiations to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a way that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil.

During the meeting, which included a lunch banquet, the King stressed the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative, and he a Senator Clinton discussed how the initiative could be applied to reach a comprehensive peace in the region.

King Abdullah and Clinton also underlined the need to intensify efforts at the Arab, international and American levels to encourage tangible progress in the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

King Abdullah urged an end to unilateral Israeli actions, saying that they undermine peace efforts. Specifically, he said, Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem are a grave violation of international law and threaten peace negotiations. He added that Jerusalem should be protected form unilateral Israeli measures that threaten its holy sites and Arab, Muslim and Christian identity.

Speaking to the press following the meeting with Senator Clinton, the King said the two discussed the priorities of Jordan and the Arab countries in bringing Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiation table.

Clinton welcomed King Abdullah as a partner, ally and friend of the United States, "on behalf of his country and on behalf of the search for peace that would result from a two-state solution in the Middle East."

"I am deeply honored and greatly delighted to welcome His Majesty back to the State Department for the series of important meetings," Clinton said.

Later in the day, King Abdullah met US National Security Advisor General James Jones.