Abbas Meets With Assad in Damascus

Source: Alalam.ir, 06-07-2008

DAMASCUS--Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas who arrived in Damascus Sunday on the prospects of reconciliation talks with Hamas.

Abbas had no plans to meet some of the Hamas leaders based in Damascus, his aide Nabil Abu-Rudeina said on Saturday.

Rudeina said that "the president's visit is limited to only meeting with the Syrian leadership".
"There are no arrangements for a meeting between the president and any of Hamas leaders in Damascus."

However, Abu Rudeina said that Abbas was due to discuss with al-Assad the prospects of starting reconciliation talks with Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip in mid-June 2007.

Abu Rudeina said that "President Abbas was still ready for reconciliation talks with Hamas in compliance with an earlier Arab League resolution".

"We want to hear a clear stand from Hamas first," he added.

The visit will be Abbas's first visit to Syria since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

Meanwhile, Abbas met in Amman Saturday with the UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Robert Serry.

Serry, who also doubles as Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General, said that his discussion with Abbas focused on the truce between the Gaza Strip and the Zionist regime as well as the prospects of opening talks between Hamas and Fatah for closing Palestinian ranks.

Former Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei [Abu Ala], has accompanied Abbas to Syria.

According to some reports, Qurei will meet with Mashaal and hand him a message from Abbas.

An unidentified source within the Assad administration said the Syrian president was prepared to work toward increasing Palestinian unity when Abbas arrives for the diplomatic visit, the Palestine News Agency WAFA reported.