Abbas in Beirut stands behind Lebanese policies for Palestinians, affirms right of return

Date: 29 / 08 / 2008  Time:  13:34
Lebanon - Ma'an –

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold a series of meetings with Lebanese senior officials, including Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman this week.

The overall message of the meetings so far has been the affirmation of the importance of Lebanese-Palestinian relations, and declarations that Palestine stands alongside Lebanon and its recent political decisions.

One major point was Abbas' statement of agreement with the Lebanese government, as it tries to impose a weapons ban on Palestinian refugees when they leave the camp areas. All Palestinians in Lebanon, he stated, are under the law and not above it. He affirmed that the Palestinian refugees should enjoy the right of return to their homeland, saying that the Palestinian Authority is "against their settlement in Lebanon."

These comments came after a meeting that was held between president Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman in the presidential palace. During the meeting Suleiman called for strengthening the relations between the two sides. He said that in order to face terrorist challenges, like the initial expulsion of Palestinians from their homes, the two countries would have to work together.

Also on Sulaiman's agenda was the disarmament of the Palestinians outside the refugee camps and dismantling some of the armed guard posts that are outside of the camp areas. The actions, said Suleiman, are part of the outcome of the Palestinian national dialogue groups, who have tackled the issue of social problems within many Palestinian communities.

Suleiman affirmed that there should be an Arab understanding, which would be in the interest of all Palestinians, prohibiting them from carrying weapons in public places.

Other meetings held Friday were between Abbas and several Arab ambassadors in Beirut, with the heads of the Palestinians factions based in Lebanon and a third with the Palestinian Lebanese dialogue committee.

The first meetings saw Abbas update ambassadors and party leaders on developments in Palestine, including dialogue and negotiations with Israel.

Also Friday was a meeting between Abbas and former Lebanese President and senior leader of the Lebanese Falangist party Ameen Al-Jumayil. During this meeting they discussed the latest in developments in the area and ways of strengthening Lebanese-Palestinian relations.

There was also a face to face meeting between Abbas and freed Lebanese prisoner Samir Quntar, during which Abbas formally congratulated him for his release from Israeli jails. President Abbas had called Quntar upon his release in July, expressing similar sentiments.

On Thursday Abbas met with Walid Junblat, head of the Lebanese socialist party and head of the democratic Lebanese coalition, where they discussed the latest on the internal Palestinian dialogue that will be held in Cairo.