Abtahi said Khatami hid behind a curtain to avoid meeting with the US Secretary of State.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the former chief of staff for Mohammad Khatami, shared a story about Khatami hiding at the United Nations.
He said they were in a hall hosting a cocktail party where Khatami was the host, and at the same time, news arrived that Madeleine Albright, the then US Secretary of State, was coming down the hallway to attend Khatami’s speech on the dialogue of civilizations.
According to Abtahi, Khatami, who did not have permission to meet with American officials, became anxious, and at that moment, the Emir of Qatar accompanied him to prevent the encounter with Albright.
Abtahi explained that with the Emir of Qatar’s help, they went to the end of the hall and hid behind a curtain so that Albright could not meet Khatami.