His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who is taking part in the Nobel Laureates Conference, which opened yesterday.

The king stressed Jordan's keenness on strengthening relations with Thailand and its people in all fields, commending the present level of ties between the two kingdoms. Sathirathai commended the conference's level of organization, saying such an effort comes at a time when the world is in dire need of sincere support to be able to stand up to the challenges it faces.

The Thai deputy premier, who also holds the culture portfolio, stressed his country's keenness on cooperation with Jordan, especially in the cultural field.

Also on Wednesday, the King met separately with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres and former US ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke, on the sidelines of the conference.

Discussions with Peres focused on bilateral issues and political developments in the region, while the king briefed Holbrooke on the latest developments in the Middle East peace process and Jordan's efforts to revive it.