Jordanian king in Syria on 'important' trip ahead of Arab peace meeting

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Jordan's King Abdullah II arrived in Syria Sunday on a previously unannounced trip, his first to the Syrian capital in nearly four years, Syria's official news agency reported. Jordan's chief government spokesman Nasser Judeh confirmed Sunday that King Abdullah II would be traveling to Damascus to meet President Bashar Assad, describing the visit as "important." He did not, however, detail the topics to be discussed. The reason for the surprise visit was not immediately clear, but relations between the two neighbors have been bumpy for years, particularly in the last few months over a host of political issues. The visit comes few days before Arab foreign ministers are to meet in Cairo, Egypt, where they are expected to come up with a unified stand on a US-sponsored peace conference scheduled for later this month.