His Majesty King Abdullah II today urged the US administration, during a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to help advance Middle East peace by lending its support to the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Arab Peace Initiative envisions comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, with full security guarantees for Israel from Arab states in exchange for the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state, Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territory occupied since 1967 and an agreed settlement to the refugee question.

The initiative was tabled by Arab states in 2002, but is drawing increasing interest from Muslim states from outside the region that want to make a constructive contribution to regional peace-making.

The King told Rice that growing international interest in regional peace-making is an opportunity that the United States could capitalize on to bring Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table with the aim of brokering a final settlement that would meet the needs of both sides. However, he also warned that Israeli activities in and around Jerusalem, particularly near Islamic holy sites, threatened to undermine international and Arab peace-making efforts.

During his talks with Rice, King Abdullah called last week's announcement that Iraq would host interested parties for a security conference an important development. He said that the crisis in Iraq affects all of Iraq's neighbors, and that Arab states are keen to contribute to Iraq's security and stability.

King Abdullah is on a five-day working visit to the US to advance Arab diplomacy for Middle East peace. While in the US, he will also meet with US President George W. Bush, as well as key elected representatives. On Wednesday, he will address a joint meeting of Congress. His trip to the US was preceded by meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh and Cairo, and a stop in London where the King also met British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

During today's meeting with Secretary Rice, which followed talks with Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the King said Jordan also is counting on US support to institutionalize a relationship between the G8 and the G11, a collective of lower-middle income countries that are working together to solve similar development challenges and stabilize at higher income levels.

He explained that Jordan is also pressing ahead with key economic, social and political reforms.

Ahead of US trip, King Abdullah announced that Jordan would hold national parliamentary and municipal elections this year.