SYRIA: Palestian President Abbas arrives in Damascus to meet with Syrian officials and leaders of Palestinian factions.

Record ID: 278934

  • Title: SYRIA: Palestian President Abbas arrives in Damascus to meet with Syrian officials and leaders of Palestinian factions.
  • Date: 21st January 2007
  • Summary: -(BN10) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JANUARY 20, 2007) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS GETTING OUT OF AIRPLANE PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS AND SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WALID AL MOALLEM WALKING TO THE CAR. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "There are a lot of common issues that we must to talk about with our brothers here. And as y
  • Embargoed: 5th February 2007 12:00
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  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADLW5RPRS80L9NXS7JYFC9MZDB
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah arrives in Damascus to hold talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday (January 20)
    On arrival he told reporters that there were many issues he wanted to raise with Syrian officials.
    "There are a lot of common issues that we must to talk about with our brothers here. And as you all know we all want to discuss such issues. It is time to discuss them and God willing we will tell what they are when we discuss them we'll tell you what happened," said Abbas.
    Asked if he would be meeting Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal he said he was ready to meet any Hamas leaders and other Palestinian groups,
    "Palestinian factions are here and certainly anyone who wants to meet us is welcomed. Why not, there is nothing stopping us," said Abbas.
    Later he met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks on bi-lateral ties and a wide range of regional issues.
    The two leaders also discussed ways to solve the political crisis between the two Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
    The meeting between Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meeshal planned for Saturday evening is expected to focus on the make up of the Palestinian unity government.
    Abbas and Meeshal hope to agree on the names of ministers for interior, finance and foreign affairs in a proposed unity government, Izzat al-Rishq, high level Hamas member told Reuters.
    Rishq said the meeting was not "a last chance meeting" but a result of the awareness by both sides that prolonging crisis and confrontation did not serve any of the sides."
    Rishq, who is a Hamas politburo member, said talks between Abbas' aides and Hamas officials in the last few days have reached an understanding that Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh would lead the next government.
    Abbas met U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week and told her he would make one last effort to form a unity government with Hamas but was determined to hold a new election if those talks failed, a Palestinian official said.
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