US Secretary of State John Kerry has met with the Palestinian president for the first time since peace talks with Israel collapsed last month.
The talks with Mahmoud Abbas took place at a London hotel.
A US official sought to downplay the meeting, saying Mr Kerry was in the UK for meetings on Syria and Ukraine.
Peace talks broke down last month after Israel was angered by a unity deal between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.
Correspondents say Mr Kerry is trying to keep the Palestinian leader committed to the peace process, which fell apart after nine months of talks.
"The door remains open to the peace process. The secretary continues to believe that," a senior state department official said before Mr Kerry left Washington.
"But the purpose of the meeting is more about our ongoing relationship with the Palestinian people." BBC News 5/14/2014
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