Palestinian leaders to arrive in Damascus Monday for visit

A top Palestinian delegation would arrive here Monday for an official visit, the official SANA news agency reported Sunday evening.

The delegation, headed by Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) executive committee chairman Mahmoud Abbas, would include Palestinian National Authority (PNA) interim President Rawhi Fattouh, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath.

This will be the first Palestinian leadership visit to Syria since 1990, which comes as part of Palestinian efforts to promote cooperation and coordination with other Arab countries.

They would hold talks with Syrian officials on the situation of the occupied Palestinian territory and the support to Palestinian national unity after the death of veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, SANA said.

Abbas would also meet Hamas chief in Syria Khaled Meshaal during the visit, during which they would discuss the issues of dialogue, political partnership and collective leadership, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zahri said.

The Palestinian leadership had taken a regional tour in late November to Egypt and Jordan.

Source: Xinhua