WASHINGTON, May 25: President George Bush has invited the leaders of five Muslim states to meet G-8 leaders on June 9 at Sea Island, Georgia, the White House said on Tuesday. All five - Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, and Yemen - are key US allies in the "war against terror".

"He (Bush) looks forward to a discussion of how the G-8 can support political, economic, and social freedom in the greater Middle East," the White House said.

The summit, scheduled for June 8-10, is part of the Bush administration's efforts to involve other industrialized nations in encouraging political and economic reforms in the Muslim world.

A state of emergency went into effect on Monday in six coastal Georgian counties as part of heightened security measures for the forthcoming summit.

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