United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon commended His Majesty King Abdullah’s efforts to kickstart peace talks and his "courageous" initiatives to achieve peace in the region.

The UN secretary general arrived in Amman earlier Tuesday on a two-day working visit and was received by His Majesty on Tuesday for wide-ranging talks.

King Abdullah briefed Ban on a series of meetings Jordan recently hosted between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to create an atmosphere conducive to relaunching direct negotiations based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.

The King and Ban discussed challenges facing the negotiations and efforts to breathe new life into the peace process.

His Majesty urged the world community to engage heavily in peace efforts in the Middle East to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, the core of conflict in the region. He reiterated Jordan's call for negotiations dealing with all final status issues and leading to an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Ban emphasised the importance of supporting the Palestinians' quest for freedom and justice, urging the sides to return to the negotiating table to bring about a two-state solution.

The UN secretary general said he will do all he can to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the embargo should come to an end as civilians are paying the price.

During the meeting, attended by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and the King's advisers, His Majesty and the UN secretary general reviewed  political changes in the Arab world, particularly the situation in Syria and Arab League efforts to end the violence there.

Ban hailed the comprehensive political and socio-economic reforms Jordan is currently implementing.