The British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, has spoken of exciting prospects for the Middle East once peace is achieved.

Mr Cook has been in Jordan during the day as part of a brief regional tour.

He held talks with King Abdullah and the Jordanian prime minister, Abdel Rauf Rawabden, about the peace dividend, the gradual building of economic ties between old enemies to replace fifty years of conflict.

Mr Cook also talked with the King about the one-and-half-million Palestinians in Jordan, all of whom expect compensation and the right to return home. Also looking forward to a peace deal, Mr Cook said British water companies were eager to help develop better supply systems for Jordan once disputes over water ownership were settled. After Jordan, Mr Cook is to fly later today for Egypt.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service