Hussein-nixon Talks Focus on Efforts to Negotiate Arab-israeli Problem

King Hussein of Jordan met with President Nixon and his national security advisor Dr. Henry Kissinger for 70 minutes at the White House this morning. White House spokesman Gerald Warren told reporters afterwards that the “thrust” of the President’s discussion with Hussein–and of his forthcoming meeting with Premier Golda Meir of Israel in three weeks–was “the present state of efforts to move toward a negotiated resolution of the Arab-Israeli problem.”

Hussein was accompanied at the White House meeting by his political advisor Zayd Rifa’i. After his meeting with the President, the Jordanian ruler lunched with Secretary of State William P. Rogers at the State Department and later held a working session with Rogers and State Department Mideast specialists.

DR. KISSINGER’S PARTICIPATION SIGNIFICANT

Observers here said it was significant that Dr. Kissinger participated in the Nixon-Hussein meeting, in as much as he is still deeply involved in the Indo-China situation and leaves tomorrow on a visit to Hanoi, Laos, Thailand and Peking. They said Dr. Kissinger’s presence at the White House meeting indicated that he is becoming more deeply involved in the Middle East situation.

Warren told newsmen that Nixon and Hussein also discussed “Jordan’s new economic development and military modernization programs and U.S. programs to help with them.” He said that “The President assured King Hussein of firm U.S. support for Jordan in these programs and of U.S. interest in progress toward a negotiated peace in the Middle East.” (See Hussein-Rogers meeting P. 3)

Hussein and his wife arrived in Washington last night and are guests at Blair House. They will be dinner guests of President and Mrs. Nixon at the White House tonight. The King’s visit to the U.S. is officially described as a private one.