Jordan's king to visit Moscow Wednesday for talks on Mideast peace

Mar 9, 2010, 11:28 GMT

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II will travel to Moscow on Wednesday for a 'working visit' to Russia, the royal court announced Tuesday.

The monarch is scheduled to have talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the 'latest Middle East developments, particularly efforts under way to accomplish a solution for the Palestinian- Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state vision,' a royal court statement said.

The king is currently in London for talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown aimed at mustering global support for the two- state solution and envisaging the creation of an independent Palestinian state peacefully coexisting with Israel, officials said.

The Jordanian head of state also wants to ramp up world pressure to stop unilateral Israeli steps in Jerusalem, many of which are seen as encroaching on Muslim and Christian holy places in East Jerusalem.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war.

King Abdullah's tour comes ahead of his meeting in Amman on Thursday with US Vice-President Joe Biden, who is currently on a regional tour that coincides with the launching of US-brokered indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.