Amman - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Amman Friday for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II on means of closing Arab ranks ahead of the regular Arab summit conference in Doha at the end of March.

The visit is the culmination of moves by the two countries to sidestep what appeared to be a cooling in the ties between Amman and Damascus that followed Jordan's failure to attend the Doha Arab summit, diplomats said.

This had been called by Qatar at the height of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip in January to decide counter steps against the Jewish state.

Reportedly under pressure from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Jordan did not attend the Doha summit which grouped hard-line Arab countries including Syria.

Jordan took the initiative in improving bilateral ties with Syria two weeks ago when King Abdullah dispatched chief of the Royal Court Nasser Lawzi and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to Damascus to relay a message to the Syrian head of state.

Al-Assad and Abdullah were expected to have talks that also focus on latest developments in the region, including the rise of a right- wing government in Israel and the stumbling of the Egypt-brokered reconciliation talks between the Palestinian hard-line Hamas group and the Fatah movement, officials said. (dpa)