His Majesty King Abdullah and Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis discussed in Athens bilateral relations as well as latest regional developments.



King Abdullah told reporters after the meeting that he and Karamanlis agreed that the internationally backed roadmap offered a viable mechanism to help establish a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.



The King said the Iraqi elections were an important step forward and marked the start of a new chapter in the country's history.



“We will continue to support the Iraqis to help them rebuild a stable, united, prosperous and peaceful country,” the King said.



Karamanlis, who met the King three months ago at the UN headquarters in New York, said there was a good chance for the Palestinians and Israelis to achieve peace.



The two leaders said they rejected all forms of terrorism and discussed the contents of the Amman Message, which seeks to present the essence of Islam as a faith that promotes peace and tolerance.



In his talks in Athens, King Abdullah discussed parliamentary cooperation with Greek Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki and held talks on regional issues with president of the main opposition party PASOK, Georgios Papandreou, and Secretary General of the Communist Party Alexandra Papariga.



Also Thursday, the King underlined the need for exchanging information with Greece's private sector on investment opportunities available in both countries.



At a meeting with the president and members of the Federation of Greek Industries, he said pharmaceutical and textile industries as well as IT were “Jordan's driving force of investment.”



The King said Greek businesspeople could be interested to invest in the expansion of the Queen Alia International Airport, the construction of the Amman-Zarqa railway, the development of the oil refinery and the exploration of oil shale as well as the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.



Federation Chairman Ulysses Kyriacopoulos said investment opportunities in both countries have not been aptly explored due to shortage of information. But the mutual investment protection agreement signed by both countries Wednesday, he said, “would help get things on the right track.”



King Abdullah, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania, returned yesterday after concluding a two-day official visit to Greece.

The Jordan Times