His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday concluded a several-hour visit to Algeria, where he held talks with President Abdulaziz Bouteflika on political developments in the Arab and regional arenas, efforts to push the peace process forward and bilateral ties in different fields.

On bilateral ties, the two leaders emphasised their keenness to cement the relations, especially in economic, investments and commercial fields.

In this regard, they voiced their hopes for holding the Jordanian-Algerian Committee meetings as soon as possible and activating cooperation agreements in various fields to increase trade and investment exchange between the two countries.

King Abdullah underlined Jordan's support for Algeria in standing up to all forms of terrorism and extremism, stressing the importance of cooperation in fighting these phenomena that threaten the lives of innocents and safe societies.

The talks, which continued over a lunch banquet, also covered issues related to political developments in the region and efforts to enhance stability and security.

The King underscored the need to unify and accelerate endeavours to reach a just political settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, relevant international resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

King Abdullah said it was important to maintain the momentum in the negotiation process between the Palestinians and Israelis to realise a just and permanent settlement, describing Algeria's potential role in the Mideast peace as “significant and vital”.

Talks also covered challenges facing the Arab world. The two leaders emphasised their keenness to activate coordination and consultation to institutionalise joint Arab work and enhance unity and solidarity between the Arab countries to protect their interests.

King Abdullah arrived in Algeria earlier in the day as part of a working trip that will also take him to the US and the UK.