Jordanian-Japanese historical ties have been further strengthened and deepened through a meeting bringing together His Majesty King Abdullah II and Emperor of Japan Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Emperor Palace on Tuesday.

During the meeting, which was attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hamzeh and Their Royal Highnesses Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Prince Hashem Bin Al Hussein, King Abdullah and Emperor Akihito showed their keen interest to boost relations between the two countries which go back to 1959 when the two countries established full diplomatic relations.

King Abdullah also expressed Jordan's thanks and appreciation to Japan for its assistance to back the Kingdom's economic and social plans.

Also on Tuesday, King Abdullah held intensive talks with top Japanese businessmen and parliamentarians on the situation in the Middle East and ways of opening new areas of economic and trade cooperation between Jordan and Japan.

At the Diet (parliament) building, King Abdullah met Parliament Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki and a number of the house members, who hailed the King's efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East and to develop national economy and people's welfare.

King Abdullah outlined Jordan's and Arab vision to reduce tension in the region through adopting the political solution as the sole means to end violence and help bring the peace process back into track.

The King noted that the Middle East peoples need support from the international community including Japan to back up peace efforts.

King Abdullah also met President of the House of Consultants Kurata Hiroyuki and members of the house and head and members of the Jordanian-Japanese Parliamentarian Friendship Association. During the meeting, King Abdullah said the distinguished and progressively developing relations between Jordan and Japan give a chance for the two countries to work together for the cause of peace in the region and to back plans for development in Jordan and the Arab world.

The successful economic experiment in Japan could set a model for economic and social development in the Arab countries, King Abdullah said. Establishing peace in the Middle East would peoples in the region to re-direct their efforts for construction and development and building a better for the youth generation, King Abdullah added during the meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Industry and Trade.

King Abdullah referred to the endeavors by Jordan and the Arab states to succeed the efforts aimed at re-launching peace negotiations.

The King reaffirmed the bases upon which peace should be established which include ending Israeli occupation of all Arab countries, implementing the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and establishing the independent Palestinian state.

For his part Hiroyuki and members of the house highly appreciated Jordan's vital role to realize peace in the region. They said they would work with the Japanese government to strengthen cooperation with Jordan particularly in economic spheres.

Economic relations and Japan's aid to Jordan topped the topics King Abdullah discussed with a delegation representing the Japanese Businessmen Federation. The King briefed them on economic developments in Jordan over the past few years including the signing of free trade agreements with the U.S., the EU and with 16 Arab countries.

King Abdullah also referred to the inviting laws and legislation endorsed to attract foreign investment to qualified industrial zones and to Aqaba Special Economic Zone. "We are attempting to make Jordan a spring board for foreign investment," King Abdullah said. In this context, King Abdullah invited Japanese leading businessmen and investor to come to Jordan to get a first hand look on the new available investment opportunities in the Kingdom.

The Japanese businessmen said their meeting with King Abdullah was a good opportunity to get acquainted with areas of investment in Jordan and they promised to study the investment climate in the country with their Jordanian counterparts in the near future.

King Abdullah, who left Japan later on the day for Singapore on his way back home, opened the joint Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese industries exhibition in Tokyo organized by the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) with the aim of introducing products of the three countries to the Japanese public.

About 1200 Japanese firm will be able to visit the exhibition slated for four days. Items on display include 21 products from Jordan, 16 from Syria and 8 from Lebanon.