His Majesty King Abdullah held talks on Thursday with several leaders who attended the 40th anniversary of the World Economic Forum.

During a meeting with Swiss Confederation President Doris Leuthard, the two leaders addressed means to boost Jordanian-Swiss relations in all areas, particularly in economic fields. Talks also addressed the current conditions in the Middle East.

King Abdullah discussed with Leuthard ways to benefit from the Swiss experience in developing Jordan's planned decentralisation programme that will help increase public participation in decision-making and foster development in the various governorates.

Addressing the latest regional developments, King Abdullah stressed the importance of the European role in supporting ongoing efforts to resume Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations to achieve a two-state solution within a comprehensive regional context.

Also on Thursday, the King held talks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, during which the two leaders addressed the need for practical and institutional measures to increase cooperation, especially in the areas of economy, industry, investment and trade.

They stressed the importance of encouraging joint investments between the two countries' private sectors, especially in the sectors of defence, pharmaceuticals, health, education, IT and construction engineering services.

King Abdullah and the Azerbaijani president also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, especially efforts to push for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

The King also met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and discussed means to enhance economic and investment cooperation in implementing joint renewable energy and infrastructure projects. During the King's visit to South Korea at the end of 2008, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, as well as a memorandum of understanding on economic and development collaboration.

The King also held talks with Slovenian President Danilo Turk, during which the two sides addressed ways to foster economic and commercial ties as well as investment cooperation. They also reviewed regional developments and means to achieve Middle East peace.

On the sidelines of the forum, the King met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Discussions focused on the need to overcome impediments to the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

The King stressed that the entire region and its people will not have peace and security unless the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved on the basis of the two-state solution.