Arab leaders and Israeli president attend UN dinner

Untied Nations: Arab leaders and Israel's president attended the same dinner on Tuesday night, a rare encounter that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hopes will promote understanding and talks.

Ban hosted the dinner for leaders attending a two-day UN conference to promote a global dialogue about religions, cultures and common values that starts on Wednesday. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia asked the General Assembly to hold the conference as a follow-up to an interfaith meeting he organised with King Juan Carlos of Spain in July in Madrid.

"It's quite unique when you expect President (Shimon) Peres of Israel ... and many kings and leaders from the Arab world ... (sitting) down together and having dinner," Ban told reporters. "This is quite encouraging and positive."

The secretary-general told reporters he was not going to organise any meeting between the Saudi king and the Israeli president, and he refused to disclose seating arrangements for the dinner, though he said all guests would be eating the same food.

An photographer allowed to photograph the start of the dinner, for about 40 VIPs, said there was no contact between Peres and Abdullah. The Saudi king walked by Peres towards his table, where he was seated next to Ban. The Israeli president was seated at a table some distance away.

"But sitting in the same room and engaging in (the) same functions - normally in the past they have not been sitting in the same place like this. That is again very important," Ban said. "I sincerely hope that through their participation in the meetings, and through this social-diplomatic gathering, they will be able to promote further understandings."

General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann sent invitations to all 192 UN member states to attend the high-level meeting under the broad topic, "Culture of Peace."

US President George W. Bush is speaking on Thursday and is not attending Tuesday night's dinner.