Jordan's King Abdullah is set to meet with Israeli Foreign Minster Tzipi Livni in Washington on Tuesday. The two are expected to discuss relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and ramifications of the landslide victory of Hamas in recent Palestinian elections. Also on the agenda is bilateral cooperation between Israel and Jordan, according to Ynet.
On Friday, King Abdullah spoke before an audience in the US state of Mississippi ahead of a visit to hurricane ravished New Orleans.
The King told listeners that it was important to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people for their leader, referring to Hamas.
"The Palestinian elections last week were an important step in the history of the Palestinian people," he said, according to the AP. "We have to respect their choice."
"It is now vital for the parties to return rapidly to the negotiation table and equally vital for the international community to continue their support," Abdullah said.
He added that both Palestinians and Israelis are fed up with violence.
The King recently urged Hamas to engage in peace talks with Israel, and to consider reforming its stand against Israel and achieve international acceptance.
He also added that the world should strive for a nuclear-free Middle East, and should cooperate to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
"We'd like to see the whole nation as a nuclear-free zone," he said.
