Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania arrived on Sunday in the Chilean capital of Santiago on the first leg of a Latin American tour that also includes Argentina and Brazil.

During the four-day visit to Chile, King Abdullah is scheduled to meet with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to discuss ways of expanding the scope of cooperation between the two countries, especially in economic fields.

The two leaders will also discuss political developments at the regional and international levels and prospects of Chile's contribution to peace efforts in the Middle East.

The King will also meet with several political and business figures, eyeing stronger bilateral ties between the two sides.

His Majesty will also meet with members of the Arab and Jordanian community in Santiago. In the 1950s, when the Kingdom's embassy was opened in Santiago, the Jordanian community was about 50,000 people.

In the presence of King Abdullah, the two countries will sign three memoranda of understanding in the fields of tourism promotion, investment promotion and public works. They will also renew a programme for scientific and cultural cooperation.

Private sector institutions in both countries will also sign several deals.

Chilean Ambassador in Amman Luis Palma said in an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that his country is looking forward to the King's visit. “The visit is an exceptional event that will lead to upgrade bilateral ties, which have been good at the political level, to strong and tangible relations at the economic level,” Palma said.

Trade volume between the two countries, which celebrated the golden jubilee on the establishment of the diplomatic ties four years ago, stands at less than $5 million as Jordanian imports from Chile stood at $4.71 million, while its exports to the Latin American country is worth $0.13 million.

Jordan mainly imports grains, fruits, seeds, beverage, drugs and pharmaceuticals, while it exports plastic furniture, textiles and domestic appliances.

The Chilean ambassador said the King's visit is important because it is the first by an Arab leader from the Levant to Chile, noting that the leaders of Morocco and Algeria have visited Chile before.

The diplomat voiced hope that the Chilean president visits the Middle East, starting in Jordan.

He called for more cooperation in the tourism sector, especially since the two national airliners are members of the oneworld Alliance.

Jordan's Ambassador to Chile Ibrahim Awawdeh said tourist flow between the two countries has improved after Petra was elected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World last year.

On politics, Awawdeh noted that the Chilean president said that her country is concerned with issues in the Middle East and wants to play a positive role in the peace process.

Prior to King Abdullah's visit to Chile, National Television of Chile aired an interview with King Abdullah and the Chilean El Mercurio newspaper published an interview with His Majesty yesterday, in which he stressed his keenness to cement economic ties and outlined political developments in the Middle East.

In the two interviews, King Abdullah stressed the need for continued efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hamzah, Princess Noor and Prince Rashed, along with Royal Court Chief Nasser Lozi, King's Adviser Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Salah Bashir and Minister of Industry and Trade Amer Hadidi, are accompanying the King on the tour.