Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania Al Abdullah received Pope Benedict XVI at the Royal Offices at the King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque in Amman. The pope is on a four-day visit to the Kingdom.

Also welcoming the pope were Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah, Prince Hashem Bin Abdullah, Princess Iman Bint Abdullah and Princess Salma Bint Abdullah.

Welcoming the pope's visit to the holy lands, King Abdullah highlighted the importance of the Pope's message of peace to the region.

The King stressed Jordan's support for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East in line with the two-state solution and within a regional context.

King Abdullah and the pope also discussed relations between Jordan and the Vatican and means of further boosting them in various fields.

King Abdullah emphasised the importance of maintaining channels of dialogue between the Islamic and Christian worlds to support coexistence and promote shared values.