King Abdullah was received in Riyadh by King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who is the kingdom's de facto ruler.

The Jordanian monarch and Crown Prince Abdullah "examined the situation in Iraq and developments in the region along with the Palestinian issue and ideas on bilateral cooperation in all areas," the agency said.

Jordan is expected to participate in a foreign ministerial-level meeting of Iraq's neighbors to be held Friday in Riyadh.

King Abdullah held talks Tuesday with Bahrain's King Hamad in which they stressed the need to "preserve the unity and independence of Iraq" and for the international community "to allow the Iraqi people to express themselves and determine their future."

The Jordanian king is accompanied on his trip by Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb and Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher.

SPACE.WIRE