His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday discussed over the phone Jordan-US ties and Mideast developments with Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain.

King Abdullah was in Washington as part of an official visit he started last Thursday.

During his conversations with the presidential hopefuls, King Abdullah underlined the importance of Washington's continued support for the Middle East peace process to achieve tangible results on the ground and to encourage the Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations.

The King reiterated a call for building bridges of confidence and understanding between the conflicting sides and for continuing the peace process according to a clear and well-defined timeframe in order to achieve a comprehensive peace deal.

Also Thursday, Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania patronised the inauguration of the Congressional Friends of Jordan Caucus, which was launched officially last year by Republican and Democratic congressmen.

In their addresses over a lunch banquet held at the Library of Congress, caucus founders Charles Boustany (R-LA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) expressed their admiration of King Abdullah's efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

The King said in remarks at the ceremony that he was optimistic that the parties could overcome the challenges in the peace process and called on the international community to help the Palestinians and Israelis reach a final solution of all outstanding issues.

King Abdullah thanked the founders of the caucus for their initiative to form the group and support Jordan.

Boustany said the Congress acknowledges Jordan as an important partner of the US, adding that the caucus will be a platform for communication with the Jordanian people.

He said the caucus members, who meet regularly, will visit Jordan to familiarise themselves with the country's challenges and will work to cooperate with their Jordanian peers.

Caucus Co-chairman Schiff said the objective of the caucus is to help Jordan address the challenges posed by regional turbulence.

Vice chairman of the caucus, Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA), noted that the congressional gathering is the first involving an Arab country, adding that it seeks to facilitate exchange of ideas between legislatures in both countries and market Jordan in the American media as a moderate country and a strong partner of the US.

In separate meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and heads of Senate subcommittees, King Abdullah said that the aim of peace in the Middle East is to secure a better future for the peoples of the region.

He reiterated that negotiations, rather than military force, are the way to peace, stressing that progress in the peace process should be based on a fixed timetable.

The King discussed with congressional leaders Jordan-US ties and highlighted the importance of the US assistance in support of Jordan's development.