His Majesty King Abdullah will travel to France on Wednesday for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy on Middle East issues and bilateral ties.

During a several-hour visit, King Abdullah and President Sarkozy will discuss efforts to re-launch the Palestinian-Israeli peace process as well as means to enhance bilateral economic cooperation.

Ways to reduce Jordan's foreign debt will also be on the agenda for discussion. Jordan's debt to France stands at $949 million — 21 per cent of the Kingdom's debt to the Paris Club.

France is the second leading investor in the country after Kuwait. French investments reached 800 million euros over the past five years, mainly in the banking, water, hotel and telecommunications sectors.

The Jordan Times