Amman  -  King Abdullah II of Jordan flew to Riyadh on Wednesday to meet with Saudi leaders on means of pushing forward the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Amman officials said the monarch's trip came in the course of a new drive meant to ensure adequate progress in the ongoing talks between the Israelis and Palestinians on core issues in the run-up for concluding a peace treaty before the end of the year as envisaged by US President George W Bush.

King Abdullah met in Amman on Tuesday with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who briefed him on the outcome of his latest meeting earlier this week with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Abbas is due to visit Washington in the last week of April for talks with Bush. (dpa)