Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II conferred Sunday with the
Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Mohammad al-Saqr, and voiced support
for a move by Arab lawmakers to bring about reconciliation between
the feuding Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah, according to an
official statement.
Al-Saqr briefed the monarch on 'efforts and contacts being made by
an Arab parliamentary delegation with a view to bringing about
reconciliation and starting a dialogue between Fatah and Hamas', the
statement from the royal court said.
'Jordan backs all moves aimed at consolidating the Palestinian
unity and cohesion at this stage which makes it imperative for
Palestinians to unite in order to be able to regain their rights,
including the setting up of their independent state,' the statement
quoted the king as saying.
King Abdullah also 'underscored the importance of patching up the
Palestinian rift and emphasised that the continuation of the
Palestinian split will only impede any progress in the peace process
and provide (Israel) with a pretext regarding the absence of a
Palestinian partner capable of resuming the peace talks'.
The monarch's remarks reflected Jordan's first unequivocal backing
for starting dialogue between Hamas and Fatah, a move that was
launched two weeks ago by the Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak at the
Sharm el-Sheikh four-way summit.
Al-Saqr, who doubles as Chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee at the Kuwaiti National Assembly, is leading an effort by
the Arab parliament to reconcile Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'
Fatah movement and the rival Hamas group following the takeover of
the Gaza Strip by the radical faction.
The Arab parliament chief and other Arab lawmakers met with Abbas
in Amman Saturday and told reporters later that both sides agreed to
form a committee to follow up the reconciliation bid.
The panel comprises two Arab MPs and head of Fatah's parliamentary
bloc at the Palestinian Legislative Council, Azzam al-Ahmad.
Al-Saqr also announced that he met in Damascus last week with
Hamas' Politburo chief Khalid Mishaal, who expressed 'readiness for
reconciliation with Fatah'.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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