Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah met Tuesday Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, which was the first ever audience by the head of the Roman Catholic Church with a Saudi monarch, BBC reported.
The private meeting, which lasted only 30 minutes, took place in the Vatican library.

Pope Benedict warmly greeted King Abdullah at the Vatican on Tuesday, grasping both his hands.

Afterwards, the king offered his host a gold sword encrusted with jewels. He was given a 16th Century engraving of the Vatican in return.

Both leaders spoke through interpreters during the meeting.

The two sides have no diplomatic ties, although Abdullah met the late Pope John Paul II when he was crown prince.

The king later met the Vatican secretary of state for further talks.
King Abdullah's visit came as relations between the Vatican and the Muslim world are improving, more than a year after the crisis caused by a papal speech appearing to associate Islam with violence.

The 84-year-old Saudi monarch is on the third leg of a European tour after visiting the UK and Switzerland. He is scheduled to travel next to Germany and Turkey.

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