Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday met with
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Amman's Queen Alia
International Airport.
Putin welcomed the Mecca agreements and expressed hopes that the
agreements will bring results and promote "formation of an
efficient Palestinian government so that an appropriate climate
could be established for the lifting of the siege against the
Palestinians and for the opening of final status negotiations with
the Israelis."
"The achievement of these goals will create conditions for the
lift of the blockade and further steps towards comprehensive
settlement of the relations with Israel," he added.
"However, that would require the fulfillment of the agreements
on Palestinian lands and the creation of conditions for further
steps in settling relations with Israel. The return of the captured
Israeli soldier would be important in this respect," he said.
Putin reiterated that Russia will keep working for the Mideast
settlement and "continue to do the same with due account of its
special relations with Arab countries and Palestinians."
For his part, Abbas, who arrived Amman on Sunday for a series of
meetings with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Russian President
Putin, said that the Palestinian government will "ensure the
resignation of the present Prime Minister Ismail Haneya's
government within two or three days and instruct the premier to
form a new government on the agreed principles if nothing
unexpected happens."
He said the signing of the Mecca agreements is a very important
step, as "it brings the entire process onto the right track."
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Fatah and Hamas reached an agreement in Saudi city of Mecca last
Thursday on forming a new coalition government.
The movements also agreed to end months of internal fighting
which had killed dozens since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
called for earlier elections in December, 2006.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2007)
