Jordan King, US President hold talks in Washington

King Abdullah II of Jordan held a session of talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington last night on latest developments in the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. The talks also covered the cooperation and economic partnership between the two countries and ways of enhancing them. The two leaders told reporters after their talks that they would continue working together to bring about a resumption of Middle East peace talks, with King Abdullah citing the need to "keep our fingers crossed" for progress. For his part, Obama expressed appreciation for the monarch's leadership in the region amid the change of what is known as the Arab Spring that has toppled governments in Egypt and Libya. In addition, Obama noted what he called the "extraordinary efforts that have been made by his majesty" and Jordan's prime minister "in guiding political reform in Jordan," putting them "ahead of the curve in trying to respond to legitimate concerns both politically and economically."