- Title: SYRIA: Palestinian President Abbas meets with President Assad in Damascus
- Date: 7th July 2008
- Summary: (MER1) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 6, 20080 (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL): PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS AND SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD SHAKING HANDS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF THE MEETING BETWEEN ABBAS AND ASSAD
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA4O49X9JVXMZ92UPDX4BKOCED1
- Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Abbas is also expected to meet with Hamas Leader Khaled Meshaal during his visit to Syria.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Syria on Sunday (July 6) and met with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.
Abbas is in Damascus for a two-day official visit during which he is expected to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and ways of creating a national dialogue between Fatah and Hamas. Abbas is also expected to meet with Hamas Leader Khaled Meshaal.
Abbas' more secular Fatah faction saw an end to 40 years of unchallenged leadership of the Palestinian people when Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006. Hamas fighters seized control of the Gaza strip from Fatah in June 2007.
Efforts to reconcile the two factions have so far failed. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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