JERUSALEM, March 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Jordan's King Abdullah II paid a surprise visit to Israel and held secret talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Thursday, Israel radio said on Friday.

    Local newspaper Ha'aretz also reported the unannounced visit. But the Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on details of the conversation.

    Earlier reports said that the two leaders would discuss implications of Sharon's plan for a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, the construction of a separation barrier on the West Bank, the chances of implementing the "roadmap" peace plan for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement.

    The unilateral disengagement plan from the Palestinians includes the removal of some Jewish settlements in Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which would ultimately leave the Palestinians with less land than they seek for a state.

    The meeting took place against a background of growing tension in Israeli-Jordanian relations that stems from several factors: the Jordanians' harsh criticism of the separation fence; an argument over the fate of Jordanian security prisoners being held by Israel that was sparked by news of Israel's prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah; and Jordanian worries over the Israeli disengagement plan.

    Jordan's main fear is that Israeli disengagement from the territories will encourage Palestinians to seek work in Jordan instead. Enditem