The United States has asked Arab countries not to announce a date for a proposed summit on the Middle East peace process for at least a week, while it tries to come up with new proposals for resolving the deadlock.

Jordanian officials said the US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Thomas Pickering, made the request during talks in Jordan on Tuesday.

Mr Pickering met both King Hussein and the Saudi prince, Crown Prince Abdullah -- who's been in Jordan to discuss the planned summit.

Mr Pickering has now gone on to Kuwait.