His Majesty King Abdullah returned home, concluding a working visit to the United States during which he campaigned to strengthen interfaith dialogue.



King Abdullah concluded his visit with a meeting with US President George W. Bush for talks on the Middle East peace process, Iraq and bilateral ties. The King said he was ready to exert all possible efforts to energize the peace process and make sure it proceeds uninterrupted. He added the peace process should lead to the establishment of a viable, independent Palestinian state.



President Bush thanked King Abdullah for his role in supporting the peace process, saying that the King's leadership was highly respected by the United States.



King Abdullah also met with several senior US officials in the administration and Congress including US Vice President Dick Cheney, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and a number of Majority House Leaders and congressional heads of committees. Talks covered progress on the peace process, Iraq and means to enhance bilateral relations



During meetings with Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders in the US, King Abdullah encouraged religious leaders to take courageous steps towards tolerance and conciliation and called for continued efforts to achieve peace, justice and respect among the followers of the three monotheistic faiths. He referred to the Amman Message and the July International Islamic Conference hosted by Jordan, saying that the document and the gathering constitute a solid basis for a continued interfaith and intra-Islamic dialogue.



Interfaith dialogue was also the key topic of discussions between King Abdullah and Pope Benedict XVI. The two met at the pontiff's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, ahead of the King's visit to the US. During the meeting, King Abdullah discussed Jordan's efforts to illuminate the fundamental values of Islam, which, he said, eschews violence and advocates peaceful co-existence around the world.



While in the U.S., King Abdullah and Her Majesty Queen Rania also visited Benjamin Banneker High School, where they met several high school students representing the three monotheistic faiths to exchange ideas on interfaith dialogue and the role of youth in achieving peace and tolerance.



The King and Queen also joined other world leaders at the opening of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. The Clinton Global Initiative's aim is to meet the global challenges posed by poverty, climate change and weak governance systems. King Abdullah urged the international community to support the Palestinians in order to reduce unemployment and poverty in Gaza as quickly as possible after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and to improve their infrastructure. He also called for a new vision for a new age, in which the basics of life and peace are enjoyed by all nations of the world, concluding that: “People of the world are looking to us: to bring our nations together, to act with urgency, and to achieve results'' in the fields of poverty reduction, health, education, gender equality, the environment and elsewhere.



Addressing the Economic Club of New York, the King said justice, peace, freedom and moral values will shape the environment for global economic development and growth, and urged the world to work together in order to “make the promise real.”