His Majesty King Abdullah is scheduled to hold talks on Wednesday with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer on means to bolster bilateral ties, developments in the Middle East and efforts to find a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue.
King Abdullah, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, arrived in Vienna on Tuesday on the last leg of a European tour that has taken him to France and Slovenia.
In Slovenia, King Abdullah stressed during his talks with President Danilo Türk that the Middle East is looking forward to a larger political role by the EU in supporting the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, especially as the two sides are engaged in talks over final status issues.
The King said Slovenia, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, can strongly contribute to stability in the Middle East and encourage the Palestinians and Israelis to reach a peace agreement that leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state which lives side-by-side with Israel.
King Abdullah highlighted the positive impact of EU support for the Palestinian Authority, which helps it rebuild its economy and institutions and better serve its people.
On bilateral ties, His Majesty said Jordan seeks to benefit from Slovenia's experience in designing and implementing workable economic programmes, noting there are several sectors where the two countries can exchange expertise.
The Slovenian president, who said his country wanted stronger ties with Amman, also stressed that his country is keen to help make peace in the Middle East. He said Slovenia is willing to cooperate with Jordan and support efforts led by King Abdullah to realise peace in the region and the world.
In a joint press conference after the meeting in Ljubljana, King Abdullah reiterated the Kingdom's eagerness to bolster ties with Slovenia.
Türk also commended Jordan's efforts to enhance global peace, saying Jordan and Slovenia enjoy strong ties based on understanding and joint positions on global issues such as their moral commitment towards the Balkans and efforts to accelerate the peace process in this region.
Türk also described the developments in the Middle East as "very worrying". But he urged against giving up hope and work for peace.
King Abdullah added that Jordan and Slovenia share the willingness to make progress in the peace process and realise stability in Lebanon, stressing the important role by Slovenia towards that end.
Also Tuesday, the King stressed during his meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa the need for genuine partnership between the two countries in the commercial and investment fields.
Slovenia can be particularly helpful to Jordan in the tourism and energy industries, His Majesty told the premier, adding it was important to encourage the private sector in both countries to play a large part in economic cooperation.