King Abdullah In Libya

King Abdullah II of Jordan left for Libya on Wednesday in a visit during which he will take part in Libya's celebrations of the September 1 Revolution.

During his visit, the Jordanian king will hold talks with Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gaddafi on bilateral cooperation, especially in financial and economic areas, as well as regional and Arab issues of mutual concern.

The Jordanian King is to visit Cairo in his way back to Jordan in order to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Later in the day Col. Gaddafi met with King Abdullah, and Libyan television said that al Gaddafi decorated the king with the "Weshah al-Fateh," the highest Libyan order of merit, saying that this decoration is "an evidence of the gratitude for the Jordanian people who stood with the Libyans in confrontation of the oppressive sanctions imposed on Libya between 1992 and 1999."

King Abdullah hailed the role played by Gaddafi in defending the Arab causes and commended the "excellent relations existing between the two countries."