Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad today during his one-day visit to Damascus, according to dpa. Abbas and al-Assad discussed the current situation in the Palestinian territories, including reconciliation talks between the different Palestinian factions. Other topics included the peace process and regional issues. Al-Assad indicated that achieving reconciliation between all Palestinian factions is the main basis for reaching peace. Egyptian-brokered talks on forming a national unity government are scheduled to enter their fifth round in Cairo on May 16. Abbas is expected to travel to Washington to meet US President Barak Obama, who will also receive Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak before the end of the month.
