Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday met in Cairo for the
first time with newly elected Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.
The talks
focused on the latest developments in the region and Egyptian efforts to end the
Fatah-Hamas dispute, a PA official in Ramallah said. Abbas briefed Mursi on US
pressure on the PA to resume stalled peace talks, the official
added.
During the meeting, Abbas reiterated his demand for a freeze of
settlement construction and Israeli recognition of the pre-1967 lines as the
basis for a two-state solution, the official told The Jerusalem
Post.
Abbas told reporters following the meeting that he also updated the
Egyptian president on the severe financial crisis in the PA. The PA leader said
that the $100 million that Saudi Arabia transferred to the PA last week helped
ease the crisis.
Referring to the ongoing dispute with Hamas, Abbas said
that efforts to form a unity government were hindered earlier this month when
the Hamas government decided to suspend the registration of voters in the Gaza
Strip. The Palestinian Elections Commission began registering voters in
preparation for new presidential and parliamentary elections before its work was
stopped by the Hamas government. Hamas justified the decision by arguing that
the PA leadership was not serious about achieving reconciliation and was
planning to steal the vote.
Abbas said that Egypt had great interest in
ending the Fatah-Hamas dispute because the whole Palestinian issue was linked to
Egypt’s national security.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal also arrived
Wednesday in Cairo for talks with Mursi on ways of ending the dispute with
Fatah.
Hamas sources said that Mashaal was scheduled to meet with Mursi
on Thursday.
The sources said they did not know if Mashaal and Abbas
would also meet during their stay in Cairo.