President receives Mashal in Damascus

DAMASCUS, Feb. 23 (Saba)-President Ali Abdullah Saleh received on Monday head of Hamas political office Khaled Mashal who briefed president Saleh on the results of the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza and the current talks over armistice and realizing a Palestinian conciliation which would be resumed during the two coming days.

Mashal appreciated Yemen's position which supports the issue of the Palestinian
people, highlighting honorable stance of president Saleh and Yemeni people during
the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

He also valued the Yemeni initiative to realize the Palestinian conciliation to
serve the interests of the Palestinian people.

President Saleh affirmed the importance of the conciliation especially in present
stage as the Palestinian issue and Arab nation facing hard challenges.

He pointed out to the importance of making the meetings which are being held in
Egypt successful to achieve the conciliation, praising the main role of Egypt, Syria
and Turkey to fulfill this goal.

President Saleh renewed Yemen's position of supporting the Palestinian people to get
their rights and set up their independent state and al-Quds as its capital.

AH