LEAD: Jordan's King Abdullah II on rare visit to West Bank

Nov 21, 2011, 10:13 GMT

Ramallah - Jordan's King Abdullah II arrived in Ramallah Monday for his first visit to the West Bank in 11 years that would include talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abdullah's helicopter landed at the Palestinian Authority headquarters, where he was welcomed by a guard of honour, before the talks began.

His first since 2000 was announced a day in advance and comes ahead of a meeting set for Thursday between Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, the leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip.

Washington has been pressuring Abbas not to reconcile with or form a unity government with the radical Islamist Hamas, which opposes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A Jordanian royal court statement said Sunday the the king's visit was taking place 'within the framework of Jordan's backing to the Palestinian Authority and people.'

Abdullah aims to push forward the stalled peace process 'in the run-up for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders in accordance with the two-state vision,' it said.

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