By Xinhua
Damascus : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will follow up the dialogue between Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Muallem announced on Sunday.
“President Assad will be in contact with leaders of both Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and will follow up the dialogue and the proposals in order to end the status of Palestinian internal division,” said al-Muallem.
Al-Muallem’s statements came in a joint news conference held with Secretary General of the Arab League (AL) Amr Moussa at the end of a two-day summit hosted by Syria on Saturday and Sunday.
Following weeks of infighting, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid June after routing President Mahmoud Abbas’ security forces with the Fatah movement.
After nine months of disputes and differences, Yemeni PresidentAli Abdullah Saleh presented to the disputing parties a seven-clause initiative aiming at ending the inter-Palestinian differences.
The Yemeni initiative calls on Hamas to end its Gaza Strip takeover, to start immediate dialogue with Abbas’ Fatah movement and go for early presidential and legislative elections.
Both Fatah and Hamas accepted the Yemeni initiative of reconciliation. However, Fatah demanded an immediate implementation of the initiative, while Hamas said the initiative has to be negotiated and not implemented.
Al-Muallem said President Assad will contact both sides and convey to Yemen over the progress, meanwhile, al-Muallem called for the Arab efforts also to continue to follow up the initiative’s implementation.
“The Yemeni initiative is right now on the table and all parties will cooperate and work together in order to see it implemented as soon as possible.” he told reporters.