Visiting Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar said in
Damascus on Tuesday that negotiations between his own Islamic
Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Fatah Movement on a unity
government was postponed for a few days to study new suggestions,
the official SANA news agency reported.
Zahar made the remarks after meeting with Syrian Vice President
Farouk al-Shara. He did not elaborate on the suggestions.
Zahar said that until now there is no plan to hold a meeting
between exiled Hamas politburo leader Khaled Meshaal and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile, Zahar reasserted that Hamas would not concede its
principles while stressing Hamas' support to the unity
government.
"We welcome any call in the framework of facilitating the
forming of the government, but Hamas' stances and principles will
not change," Zahar said.
For his part, Shara renewed during the meeting Syria's call on
the Palestinian factions to achieve a national concordance to boost
the Palestinians' steadfastness, according to SANA.
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Shara also underlined the need of the international community to
take practical measures to lift the unfair siege imposed on the
Palestinian people, SANA reported.
On Tuesday, Palestinian Minister of Information Yousef Rizqa,
however, said that negotiations on the formation of a national
unity government did not collapse, adding that there were several
unresolved points in this respect.
The negotiations will be resumed after the return of Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas from the Saudi kingdom, Rizqa noted.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2006)
