Jordan's King Abdullah II flew to Damascus on Thursday for a previously unannounced brief visit, according to dpa. He is expected to have talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on latest regional developments, foremost the US-brokered indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and recent Israeli moves, including the decision to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in a Jerusalem suburb, officials said. They also expected the two Arab leaders to appraise the fallout from the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla at the end of May in which Israeli soldiers killed nine flotilla members and efforts under way to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The same issues were discussed by the monarch on Wednesday with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman. Jordan, a pro-west monarchy, seemed over the past few years to take positions on regional issues at odds with those pursued by Syria, a hard-line Arab country with close ties with Iran. However, despite such differences the leaders of the two countries have appeared keen to promote bilateral cooperation in various areas.
