21.   Relations began improving at the end of June when the king met Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Cairo.

22.   Since then the king has met several times in Britain with Iraqi opposition leaders.

23.   The deadline came and went without Letsie complying, but the king met Mokhehle the following day while South Africa sent a top-level government team to facilitate the process.

24.   The king will meet Jiang and Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng in Beijing, the ministry said.

25.   The king will meet US Defence Secretary William Perry in Washington to discuss ways of modernising his army.

26.   The king met Aznar earlier Friday, after which the Popular Party leader said he wanted to form a government as soon as possible.

27.   The king will meet Jiang and Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng in Beijing, the Nepal foreign ministry said earlier.

28.   The king will meet President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday and Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel Meguid Wednesday.

29.   The king will meet Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah ibn Abdel Aziz, who took charge of running the Gulf kingdom from the ailing King Fahd in December.

30.   The king will meet with Prime Minister Li Peng and attend a dinner hosted by Jiang in his honour, the announcement said.