The Egyptian and Syrian Presidents called Wednesday Israel to open talks with the Palestinian Authority on the creation of a Palestinian.
In a Damascus summit, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak also called Palestinians to work ‘to achieve their commitments toward the establishment of an independent state.’
The two leaders expressed support to the Egyptian sponsored Palestinian factions’ unity talks.
Egypt has been working for months on a plan to help the Palestinians reform their security forces and reach a unity decision on running the Gaza Strip after the Israeli withdrawal.
The summit meeting came one day after the divisive debate in the Arab League over Syrian troops in Lebanon.
Mubarak’s spokesman Maged Abdel Fattah earlier said the presidents were to discuss Iraq, the Palestinian conflict and this month’s UN Security Council resolution on Syria’s role in Lebanon.
“Mubarak would fly to Syria to discuss how to deal with the UN resolution ‘in a framework of reality and practicality.’ He added.
The Arab League on Tuesday failed to adopt a consensus stand on the UN resolution, and only expressed support for the ‘special relations between Syria and Lebanon.’
The Security Council resolution of September 2 called for the withdrawal of foreign forces in Lebanon.
In a rare challenge to a fellow Arab country, Jordan and six Gulf Arab nations urged Syria to respect the resolution.
But Syria and Lebanon opposed the UN resolution, and the league debate ended with the 22-nation body adopting the consensus position of support for the traditionally close ties between Syria and Lebanon.
The league statement also supported Lebanon’s ‘sovereign right to practice its political choices within constitutional institutions’.
