RIYADH, 20 April 2008 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks with former US President Jimmy Carter at Al-Yamamah Palace here yesterday. They discussed matters of mutual concern, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The talks were attended by a number of senior officials including Prince Muqrin, director of intelligence, Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah, Prince Mansour ibn Nasser, Prince Bandar ibn Salman ibn Muhammad, Abdul Mohsen Al-Tuwaijeri, advisers to the king, and Dr. Nizar Obaid Madani, state minister for foreign affairs.
Carter arrived earlier in the day and was received at the airport by Madani, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Marik, deputy chief of protocol at the Foreign Ministry, and other officials.
Prior to his arrival in Riyadh, Carter met twice this weekend with the exiled leader of Hamas and his deputy.
Carter is the most prominent American to hold talks with Khaled Meshaal, whose Palestinian group claimed new legitimacy from the meetings with the Nobel laureate.
Carter met Meshaal and his deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk, again for about an hour yesterday morning, after more than four hours of talks the night before.
“Several subjects were discussed, including (Israeli-Palestinian) crossing points, (captured Israeli soldier Gilad) Shalit, the siege on the Palestinians and a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel,” Abu Marzouk said yesterday.
Another senior Hamas official in Damascus, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to represent the group publicly, described the meetings as “warm.” But he said Carter did not receive a response to either of the two requests the former president made: That Hamas halt its rocket attacks against Israel, and agree to a meeting with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai to discuss a prisoner exchange.
Carter’s convoy arrived at Meshaal’s office for the meeting under tight security, and reporters were prevented from getting near the site. The meetings were closed to the media, and Carter refused to make any comment.
Today, Carter is to travel to Jordan on the last leg of his Middle East tour.
