Jordanian king in South Korea after visiting Japan
King Abdullah II of Jordan has urged South Korea to send more tourists and increase investments in his country.
AP quoted South Korean officials as saying that these statements were made during the talks the Jordanian king made in Seoul with South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, Prime Minister Kim Chong-pil and high-ranking businessmen in South Korea.
The senior spokesman for the South Korean presidency, Pak Chon-yung said that President Kim agreed to start talks on signing agreements to increase investment and tourism between the two countries.
On Saturday, the Jordanian king arrived in South Korea for a visit that will last for three days. The South Korean president welcomed the visit, calling it an "excellent opportunity not only to strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between our two countries but also promote understanding and cooperation between the Republic of Korea and nations in the Middle East. "
He added, "I hope that Korean companies will be able to participate actively in Jordan's economic development. "
The visit of the Jordanian king to South Korea falls in the course of a tour he is making in Asia. The tour has so far covered Singapore and Japan.
Earlier on the king's Asian tour, a joint statement was released on Saturday on King Abdullah's visit to Japan, saying that the visit "further deepened" bilateral relations. It said that Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and King Abdullah "shared the view that, due to Jordan's geopolitical position, 'a stable and prosperous Jordan' underpins the stabilization of the whole Middle East region."
They called for Middle East peace "on the basis of the principles of the Madrid Conference and the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 425, in particular the principle of 'Land for Peace.'" They also called for the implementation of the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement, called on the international community to fill the needs of the Palestinian refugees, and called for resumption of negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese peace tracks.
They called for a solution to the situation in Iraq, including Iraq's compliance to Security Council resolutions, stressing "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq."
They "shared the view that there is a need for reform of the United Nations," including an expansion of the Security Council's permanent and non-permanent members, as well as denouncing terrorism.
Obuchi also welcomed the completion of Jordan's preparations for membership in the World Trade Organization, and his country presented a package of economic aid to Jordan.
The two countries "agreed to continue close exchange of views with the participation of representatives of both countries from various fields in order to discuss overall bilateral relations including political, economic, social and cultural areas as well as economic cooperation," establishing a forum for bilateral consultations which is to meet regularly.