Abbas to meet Mesha'al tomorrow

Occupied Jerusalem: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet Hamas political chief Khalid Mesha'al in the Syrian capital tomorrow to try to clinch a long-elusive agreement on forming a coalition government, an Abbas aide said yesterday.

Abbas hopes a national unity government between Hamas and his Fatah movement would induce the West to lift painful sanctions it imposed on the current Hamas-led government for refusing to disarm and recognise Israel's right to exist.

But months of coalition talks didn't produce an agreement, and the rivalry between the two factions has spiralled into deadly internecine fighting.

Abbas negotiator Ziad Abu Amr said the two men would try to put the finishing touches to a deal at their meeting tomorrow, but did not elaborate on their agenda.

Efforts continue

"There are issues we have agreed upon and issues that still need agreement, but we are continuing our efforts and did not reach a deadlock," Abu Amr said.

Abbas and Mesha'al have not met since Abbas took office in January 2005. Their frosty relations took a turn for the worse in April after Mesha'al publicly accused Abbas of being a traitor for opposing the formation of a heavily armed Hamas militia.

For months Abbas shunned all contact with the Hamas leader, and only recently agreed to take a phone call from him.