Middle East News
Abbas aide urges Arab summit to re-endorse 2002 peace proposal
Mar 27, 2008, 14:20 GMT
Damascus - An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Thursday that Abbas would not reconcile with Hamas before it gave up sole control of Gaza, and did not intend to meet with any Hamas officials during the upcoming Arab League Summit in Damascus Saturday and Sunday.
Nimr Hammad, a member of Abbas' delegation to Damascus, also called on participants of the summit to reiterate their support for a
2002 Arab peace proposal, which promises Arab recognition of Israel in return for a full withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.
Abbas was due to arrive in Damascus Friday, a day ahead of the two-day summit, after holding talks in Jordan Thursday.
Hamad denied reports that a meeting was scheduled under Syrian auspices between Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal.
Representatives of the radical Islamic movement ruling Gaza and Abbas' rival Fatah party had signed a declaration in Sana'a Sunday, agreeing to hold talks on the basis of a Yemeni mediation initiative, which primarily calls on Hamas to reverse its violent June take-over of the Strip.
But hours later, Abbas had disowned the agreement, saying he demanded the immediate implementation of the initiative and would not enter into negotiations about it.
'We accept the initiative, but we want it to be implemented soon and not to be the agenda for an endless dialogue,' Hamad told reporters in Damascus.
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