His Majesty King Abdullah met on Wednesday with House of Lords Speaker Baroness Helen Valerie Hayman, who is currently on a visit to the Kingdom as part of a tour that took her to the Palestinian territories and Israel.

At the meeting, His Majesty and Hayman discussed developments in the region and efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

King Abdullah referred to the economic challenge the region is facing in light of the unprecedented surge in international prices of commodities, highlighting Jordan's efforts to expand the middle class segment in the country and protect the community from the negative impact of these challenges, especially the low-income bracket.

Discussions also covered means to develop bilateral ties, especially in the parliamentary fields. In this regard, the King expressed appreciation for the UK's support for the Kingdom to help it implement development programmes.

Hayman said she appreciated the King's efforts to realise peace and stability in the region, stressing her country's keenness to boost bilateral ties at various levels.