Saleh, Hamas official talk Palestine

SANA'A, June 21 (Saba) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh met Sunday
with a Hamas official and discussed several topics topped by efforts
to reconcile the rival Palestinian movements of Fatah and Hamas.

Saleh met with deputy head of the Hamas Political Bureau Moussa Abu
Marzouk, who arrived in the country on Saturday for a few-day visit
during which he would brief the president on the latest developments
in the Palestinian arena.

During the meeting, Saleh reiterated Yemen's firm stance supporting
the Palestinian case and the Palestinian people's rights.

In March 2008, President Saleh sponsored an effort to solve the
Fatah-Hamas rift.

The two movements accepted the initiative which called on Hamas to
retract its coup and accept agreements with Israel as well as
holding early presidential and parliamentary elections.

The two movements then sent envoys to Yemen, who signed the Sana'a
Declaration, which marked a step ahead towards agreement between
them.