His Majesty King Abdullah II today congratulated US President-Elect Barack Obama on his historic victory in the American presidential elections on Tuesday.

In a cable to Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, King Abdullah said that the president-elect's message of hope had “resonated across the world”. He said Jordan looks forward to working with Obama to “bring this hope to the Middle East.”

King Abdullah told the president-elect he looked forward to "deepening our friendship and strengthening our cooperation in the face of common challenges."

In January 2009, Jordan and the United States will celebrate six decades of diplomatic ties. The two countries have been actively engaged in efforts to advance the Middle East peace process, with King Abdullah describing American leadership in the process as indispensable to its success.

“I hope we will work as partners to help achieve peace in the Middle East, through a negotiated settlement on the basis of the two-state solution that guarantees security for Israelis and independence for Palestinians,” said King Abdullah.