JEDDAH, 1 September — Prince Abdullah, the regent, held talks here yesterday with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on major developments in the region.
“The two leaders discussed developments at Arab, Islamic and international levels,” Saudi Press Agency reported.
The agency said the talks also focused on ways of strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Hariri, who arrived here earlier in the day, also met with Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, and discussed issues of mutual concern. A Lebanese official earlier told AFP news agency that Hariri’s talks in the Kingdom would cover the tense situation in the Middle East and bilateral relations.
The agency said Hariri had obtained the Kingdom’s agreement in July to participate in a meeting of international financial institutions and donor nations aimed at helping Lebanon pull itself out of a deep financial crisis.
The Paris II meeting, to be hosted by France later this year, is expected to gather major Gulf states, members of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, and global financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Prince Abdullah, meanwhile, telephoned King Abdallah of Jordan to convey his condolences on the death of Prince Zaid ibn Shaker. “During the conversation, the two leaders also discussed major developments in the region,” SPA said.
Prince Abdullah also received a number of princes, ministers, top officials and a group of citizens, who came to greet him, at his palace in Jeddah.
