His Majesty King Abdullah held talks in the Australian capital Canberra on Wednesday, with the Governor General of Australia General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove that focused on means to forge closer coordination between Jordan and Australia on developments and crises in the region.

The discussions, which were attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Lady Cosgrove, the wife of the governor general, also dealt with the war on terrorism and the repercussions of the Syrian crisis.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Their Royal Highnesses Princes Ali bin Al Hussein and Hashim bin Al Hussein, King Abdullah and the governor general stressed shared values between the two countries, and their keenness to achieve global peace.

They also affirmed that continued consultations between the two countries on various issues of common interest, will reflect positively on bilateral cooperation.

The talks also dealt with the burden being borne by Jordan as a result of hosting Syrian refugees. In this context, His Majesty thanked Australia for its support to countries hosting Syrian refugees, noting that this helps them continue their humanitarian and relief services to the refugees.

On counter-terrorism efforts, the King affirmed the importance of continuing regional and international efforts to fight terrorism and its gangs within a holistic strategy to preserve global peace and stability.

The governor general and his wife held a lunch banquet in honour of Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania that was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Princes Ali bin Al Hussein and Hashim bin Al Hussein and the accompanying delegation.

In remarks during the lunch banquet, the King highlighted the strong ties between Jordan and Australia, as well as his keenness to further boost them in various domains.

His Majesty pointed to threats posed by terror groups to the Middle East and warned of their attempts to spread terror and incite sedition among peoples and different religions. The King added that Islam is the religion of peace and calls on all believers to respect others.

The governor general for his part voiced hope that the visit of the Their Majesties will contribute to expanding cooperation between the two countries in various domains.

He also pointed to the common visions between his country and Jordan, mainly with regard to the war on terrorism, and the humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria.

The governor general said Australia was looking forward to boosting relations with Jordan in the security, scientific, economic and sports fields.

The talks were also attended by the Royal Hashemite Court chief, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jordan’s ambassador to Australia.

Earlier, King Abdullah and Queen Rania were accorded an official reception at the Government House. An artillery unit fired a 21-gun salute welcoming King Abdullah and a brass band played the national anthems of Jordan and Australia.

The King and Queen began their state visit to Australia by visiting the Australian War Memorial, where His Majesty laid a wreath and signed the visitors' book.

King Abdullah and Queen Rania also attended a dinner banquet that was held by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife in honour of Their Majesties and the accompanying delegation.

In Amman, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein was sworn in as Regent in the presence of Cabinet members.