Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived on Sunday evening in Tunisia for a three-day visit in which he will be holding talks with the Tunisian president, Zein Al Abidin Bin Ali, in order to discuss the preparations for the upcoming Middle East peace conference.The visit is part of a tour Abbas is conducting; he visited Moscow, Jordan and is also expected to visit Washington.
Abbas is accompanied by Ahmad Qorea’ (Abu Ala’) member of the Central Committee of Fateh movement, Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat, and Abbas’ spokesperson Nabil Abu Rodeina.
Upon arriving at the Qortag International Airport in Tunis, Abbas and the accompanying delegates were received by the Tunisia Foreign Minister, Abdul-Wahab Abdullah, the Tunisian President advisor and his official spokesperson, Abdul-Aziz Bin Dia’, and he was also received by Abdul-Latif Abu Hijla, vice president of the Political Bureau of the PLO, Mohammad Affana, a Fateh official and the head of the Palestinian Liberation Army.
Yet, members of Fateh’s Central Committee, residing in Tunisia, were not at the airport when Abbas’ plane landed there. The members are Farouq Al Qaddoumi, head of the Political Bureau of the PLO, and senior Fateh leaders Mohammad Ghneim, and Mohammad Jihad.
Abbas is expected to arrive in Washington next Tuesday for talks with the US President George Bush. Both leaders are expected to hold talks on the planned peace summit which will be held in Russia.
