Western churches could play an important role for Middle East peace, Jordan's King Abdullah II told the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

Meeting on Sunday as a part of the Archbishop's four day tour of the Holy Land, Abdullah conversed with Williams over the increasing fragility of Christian communities across the region, the Holy Land in particular.

Abdullah noted Israel's efforts to evict non-Jewish inhabitants from eastern Jerusalem, a matter that Williams previously said he was "deeply" concerned about.

"We worry deeply about the dwindling of numbers here," Williams said during his arrival in Jordan, referring to the nearly 12,000 Christians that have left Jerusalem over the past 60 years.

Abdullah further told Williams that Jordan would continue to protect Christian and Islamic holy sites in occupied Palestinian regions.

Williams, in turn, praised Jordan's efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue, including the Common Word Initiative, which has been widely commended for its progress in the field.

One day prior to the meeting, Williams participated in a cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Anglcian Church of St. John the Baptist, which will be built at Jesus' baptismal site near the Jordan River on land donated by Abdullah.

Speaking to nearly 600 Jordanian Anglicans participating in the service, Williams gave words of comfort, and urged the group not to lose hope in spite of their circumstances.

"It's the same world as the one into which Jesus came – in so many ways a place that can drive us to despair or rage, and yet now and forever a world in which God is real, so that neither rage and despair can be the only or the ultimate option for us," he said, according to the National.

"May the God who has called us his beloved sons and daughters in baptism give us the courage to be faithful to this gift of presence – the courage always to begin again, day after day, to be a Christian."

Williams will conclude his tour of the Holy Land on Feb. 23.