Warsaw, Asharq Al-Awsat- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz begins a state visit to Poland today. It is the first-ever visit by a Saudi king to Poland.

During the King’s visit, Saudi Arabia and Poland are expected to sign a series of agreements on various areas of cooperation, including political, commercial, economic, cultural, scientific, educational, health and youth sports.

In a statement to the press, Saudi Ambassador to Poland Nasser Al-Bireik said that the King’s visit is expected to boost bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.

In 2005, then-Crown Prince Abdullah sponsored a successful separation surgery for a set of Polish conjoined twins at the National Guard’s King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia and Poland resumed diplomatic relations in 1995 after severing them after the end of the Second World War. King Abdullah’s visit comes after an invitation was extended by Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski who visited Saudi Arabia in 2004.

On Wednesday King Abdullah is due in Amman for a two-day state visit and talks with King Abdullah II on latest developments in the region, foremost the Palestinian rift that ensued after Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip 10 days ago, the

Jordanian royal court announced Sunday.

The talks are expected to focus on “a number of regional files including the repercussions of events in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq as well as means of reinvigorating the (Arab-Israeli) peace process on the basis of the Arab peace initiative”, a court statement said.

The blueprint, which was initially proposed by the Saudi monarch when he was crown prince in 2002, was readopted for the second time by the Arab summit in Riyadh at the end of March this year.

The plan envisages extending recognition to Israel by all Arab states after it withdraws from all Arab areas it occupied in the 1967 six-day war, including East Jerusalem, and after an “acceptable” solution is found for the Palestinian refugees problem.

The Saudi king’s visit to Jordan also wins added significance as it comes two days after the landmark four-way summit due to be held at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Monday, Amman-based Arab diplomats said.

The meeting is due to be attended by King Abdullah of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak.