His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday discussed with Chile's President Sebastiلn Piٌera prospects of signing a free trade agreement between Jordan and Mercosur.

The two leaders underscored the importance of benefiting from opportunities to strengthen Jordanian-Chilean ties, especially in the areas of investment and economy.

Formed in 1991, the Mercosur regional trade organisation seeks to establish a common market and a common trade policy towards other nations.

The alliance, the world's third largest trading bloc, behind the EU and the economies of the countries party to the North American Free Trade Agreement, comprises several Latin American countries.

During the meeting, King Abdullah and the Chilean president also examined the possibility to increase cooperation in the field of alternative and renewable energy.

Piٌera emphasised his country's interest in boosting cooperation with Jordan, particularly in the fields of economy and commerce.

King Abdullah visited Chile in October 2008. During the visit, he stressed that building partnership with Chile was essential to open gateways to regional markets and to boost the countries' resilience against external shocks.

Talks with Chile's president and the accompanying delegation also dealt with regional issues, especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Chilean president, who arrived in Amman Sunday following a visit to the Palestinian territories and Israel, briefed King Abdullah on the outcome of his visit.

The key to establishing comprehensive peace in the region depends on arriving at a just solution for the Palestinian issue, King Abdullah said, commending Chile's position in support of efforts to achieve regional peace.

The Ambassador of Chile in Amman Fernando Varela said that the visit of the Chilean President to Jordan is important in terms of building on the historical relations between the two countries which developed after the King's visit to Chile two years ago.

The ambassador also pointed out to the potential opportunities to boost Jordanian-Chilean relations, especially in the fields of food, knowledge transfer and water management and conservation.

The Chilean president left Jordan on Sunday evening and was seen off by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.