Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets Khalid Mashaal Thursday, 24 November 2011 15:01

CAIRO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began talks in Cairo Thursday with the Chief of Hamas Movement politburo Khaled Mashaal and his deputy Moussa Abu Marzouk.

Their talks focussed on enforcing the provisions of the Palestinian national reconciliation accord signed signed here last June 4.

The two sides also discussed the general political situation, the future of the Palestinian cause, prospects of reaching some headways in the peace process with Israel and pressing issues of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories.

They are also expected to discuss other issues, including the future status of the Palestinian National Authority, the situation in the holy city of Al Quds, Jerusalem, speeding up steps to rebuild the Palestinian National Council, the reconstituting of Palestine Liberation Organization to allow Hamas to join, rebuilding Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and a strategy to achieve Palestinian statehood.

The national reconciliation deal has so far not been implemented, in large part because of disagreements over who will serve as prime minister of an interim government until elections are held.

A previous reconciliation pact between Hamas and Fatah fell apart in June 2007 when Hamas militants clashed with security forces loyal to Abbas and the Palestinian Authority and seized control of the Gaza Strip.

"We hope we have opened a new chapter," Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum, said in a statement Thursday.

Earlier Wednesday Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi conferred with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the latest Palestinian developments under the continuing Israeli settlement activities , violence escalation and the US- Quartet peace process contacts.

Abbas flew into Cairo earlier Tuesday and held talks with Arab League Secretary General Dr. Nabil Al Arabi on the latest developments in the region with emphasis on the Palestinian situation under the israeli escalating settlement activities and unilateal recist practices in addition to efforts to end the inter-Palestinian divisions.(QNA)