Jordan backs Mid-East peace plan

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The US secretary of state has met Jordan's King Abdullah to discuss Arab proposals for a Middle East peace plan.

Condoleezza Rice met King Abdullah in Jordan in between meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Ms Rice is using her latest visit to the region to revive efforts to push towards founding a Palestinian state.

King Abdullah called on Israel to "react positively" to the Saudi peace plan, which is due to be debated by Arab nations at a summit this week.

She met the king after talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

She was due to meet Mr Abbas again in Jordan before returning to Jerusalem for a meeting with Mr Olmert.

Peace plan revived

The king strongly backed the plan, which was first drafted in 2002 by Saudi Arabia and is now being considered by the US as a possible route to a peace settlement.

I think a bilateral approach, in which I talk in parallel to the parties... is the best way Condoleezza Rice <a class="" href="/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6485947.stm">Worse times ahead?</a> "He [King Abdullah] urged Israelis not to waste this historic opportunity... to achieve the aspirations of peoples of the region to live in peace and security," a statement said.

Separately, officials preparing for an Arab League summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, indicated they could be prepared to make changes to the draft peace plan to make it "compatible" with recent developments.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is also touring the Middle East, where he met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday.

At a news conference in Jerusalem, Mr Olmert said he was open to suggestions of a regional involving the Quartet of Middle East negotiators and some Arab states.

"If such an invitation would come my way, I would look at it in a very positive way," he said.

'Common agenda'

Ms Rice is talking to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders separately because Mr Olmert refuses to talk to Mr Abbas on matters of peace since the Fatah leader formed a national unity government with the Islamist group Hamas.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was also in Amman for talksWashington says it will only talk to ministers who are not members of the Islamic group Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist group.

Her visit to region is her seventh in the past eight months.

The US secretary of state has called on the Palestinians and Israel to agree a "common agenda" to move towards establishing a Palestinian state.

She has urged the Palestinian government to accept international demands to renounce violence and recognise Israel.

"Now we are in a situation in which I think a bilateral approach, in which I talk in parallel to the parties... is the best way," she said on Sunday.

"I think that it is extremely important that there be a political horizon for the Palestinian people."