During a brief visit to the United States, His Majesty King Abdullah met with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington on Monday evening to discuss bilateral ties as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.

King Abdullah said Jordan appreciated US support for Jordan and thanked the president for considering additional assistance to the Kingdom this year to help Jordan confront economic challenges posed by high oil prices.

On the Palestinian-Israeli issue, 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. He also stressed the need for both Israelis and Palestinians to resume negotiations as soon as possible and reiterated the need to channel assistance to the Palestinian people in order to avert a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories. He added that Jordan would continue help move the peace process forward.

King Abdullah will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in separate meetings in the coming few weeks.

The King also welcomed the formation of the new Iraqi government as a step forward in establishing peace, stability and security and emphasized the need for an inclusive political process in Iraq. He added that Jordan will continue to support the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people.

On Friday, the King will travel to Germany for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the latest regional developments and means to enhance bilateral ties.