His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday commended Jordanian-UAE relations and called for further efforts to bolster bilateral cooperation in all fields.

The King made the remarks during a meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ben Zayed Al Nahayan, who conveyed greetings from UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Ben Zayed Al Nahayan to the King.

Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib also met with his UAE counterpart on Sunday. Talks focused on bilateral relations. The two officials also stressed the need to foster Arab action and coordinate their views in issues of common concern.

Also on Sunday, King Abdullah met with former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who expressed his appreciation for the King's invitation to Iraqi religious leaders to attend the reconciliation conference, which was slated for April 22.

The conference was postponed at the request of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

King Abdullah told Allawi the appointment of a president, prime minister and lower house speaker in Iraq is important, since it paves the way to bringing an end to the violence taking place in the country.

The King also met with Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Ihsan Ul Haq on Sunday.

During the meeting attended by HRH Prince Rashid Bin El Hassan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Khaled Sarayreh, the two sides discussed ways to foster bilateral cooperation, particularly in the defence sector. They also examined the possibility of increasing training and expertise exchange.

The Pakistani general expressed his country's appreciation for Jordan's humanitarian assistance for survivors of October's massive earthquake.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, the Pakistani official commended King Abdullah's efforts on the regional and international levels.

The Jordan Times