During a meeting with committee members of the U.S. Senate and House of Deputies on Wednesday, His Majesty King Abdullah discussed economic and political relations between Jordan and the U.S. and Jordan's vision to resolve regional issues particularly in Iraq and Palestine.



In presence of Her Majesty Queen Rania, King Abdullah briefed members of the appropriation
committees in the two houses on Jordan's financial needs to carry out the 2004 development plans including those of the Economic and Social Transformation Program for the coming years.



King Abdullah thanked the U.S. congress for approving ordinary and supplementary aids to Jordan during 2003 which reached a total of over one billion U.S. dollar and helped the kingdom overcome adverse economic impact of the war on Iraq.



The House of Deputies has already approved the $450 m. of U.S. ordinary aid to Jordan for the year 2004 beginning next month of which 250 million come under economic aid and 200 million are for military assistance. The U.S. Senate House is expected to vote for the aid soon.



Head of the Appropriation Committee at the House Ted Stevens expressed admiration over Jordan's
reform plans.



During his meeting with leaders at the two houses, King Abdullah talked about hot issues in the region and warned against quitting the Roadmap peace plan which is the best possible solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.



On the situation in Iraq, King Abdullah underlined the necessity to give the Iraqis greater powers to run their own country and lay down a new constitution that guarantees freedom, democracy and the unity of Iraq's land.



Bill Frest, a prominent senator highly appreciated Jordan's instrumental role to bring the peace process back into track and achieve progress on the ground. Other members paid tribute to Jordan's economic
and social reform plans.