Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II will meet at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Thursday. Modi received King Abdullah at the airport on Tuesday, three weeks after he travelled to Amman during his West Asia tour.

“The Indian democracy is a celebration of our age-old plurality,” Modi said at an event organised by the India Islamic Cultural Centre at the Vigyan Bhawan on Thursday morning. Both leaders spoke about religion and peace.

“Your nation and our neighbouring country, Jordan, is situated on a land from where the message of god was sent out across the globe,” Modi said, while thanking King Abdullah for visiting India. “Jordan has historical importance in India’s religious texts. It is where god’s message was sent...Many religions have been born and nurtured in India. The message of peace and love has spread from India to other countries.”

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Talking about terrorism, the Indian prime minister said, “Religious extremists don’t realise that their actions hurt the very religion they claim to represent.”

He also praised the Jordanian king for his “role in establishing Islam’s identity”.

King Abdullah II added to Modi’s message of peace, saying, “Compassion, mercy and tolerance are values shared by Muslims around the world.” He said such values ensure people “act together for a common future”.

“Too much of what is spoken about religion in the world is on what separates us,” he said, adding that the global war on terror is not a fight between people or religions, The Hindu reported. “It is between the murderers of our faith and against extremists whose faith is hate and violence.”

At their meeting, Modi and King Abdullah are expected to discuss Palestine and ways to deal with terrorism, radicalisation and extremism. The two countries will talk defence cooperation, discuss a twinning agreement between archaeological sites in Agra and Petra in Jordan, in addition to agreements on health and culture, according to The Indian Express.