His Majesty King Abdullah today told Iraqi Vice President Tareq Hashemi at a meeting that Jordan will continue to support reconciliation efforts in Iraq.

King Abdullah appealed to Sunni and Shiite clerics across the Muslim world to work hand in hand to stem violence in Iraq.

"Sunni and Shiite clerics in the Muslim world shoulder a huge responsibility and must work to defuse the crisis facing Iraq by saying clearly that the killings and abductions are a flagrant violation of Muslim principles," he said.

The Iraqi people "must strive to achieve the common goal of security national reconciliation, which is the core issue to save Iraq and avert the specter of a civil war."

Hashemi warned that the violence in Iraq could lead to a civil war that would threaten Iraq's neighbors and expressed appreciation for King Abdullah's concern to restore Iraq to stability and security.

“We have an identical vision [about] how to mend the devastated situation in Iraq,” Hashemi told reporters. He added that Jordan has regional importance, and has played an important role in helping mitigate the crisis in his country.

The King has been meeting top Iraqi political and religious leaders ahead of Bush's visit in a bid to defuse the Iraqi crisis.

On Monday, he met Sheikh Harith Dhari, head of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Iraq's main Sunni clerics' group. On Wednesday, King Abdullah is expected to meet with Abdel Aziz Hakim, the head of the powerful Shiite Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Iraqi Deputy President said we upon initiative from His Majesty King Abdullah we are on a short visit for Jordan to consult and discuss in many common issues forefront is the situation in Iraq.