Syria trying to ensure Abbas-Meshaal meeting-Hamas

DAMASCUS, Jan 21 (Reuters) Syria is trying to ensure that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal meet in Damascus today to discuss the formation of a unity government, a senior Hamas official said.

''We are seeing Syrian efforts at the highest level to convene this meeting,'' Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq said. ''Syrian officials are doing their best to bring the views of both sides closer.'' Syrian Vice-President Farouq al-Shara held separate talks with Abbas and Meshaal today, witnesses said. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem attended the meetings.

''Hamas has shown all the flexibility that it could and we hope that Mr. Shara will convince President Abbas to show similar flexibility to convene the talks,'' Rishq said.

A meeting scheduled for late last night was postponed after officials failed to reconcile differences over the new government and how it would deal with Western demands.

A power struggle between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah faction has led to violence in Gaza and the West Bank after talks on forming a unity government broke down late last year and Abbas called for fresh elections.

Hamas officials said yesterday the two politicians would discuss whom to appoint to the ministries of the interior, finance and foreign affairs in a proposed unity government.

They also said talks between Abbas aides and Hamas officials in the past few days had reached an understanding that Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas would lead the next government.

Abbas arrived in Damascus yesterday and met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has close ties with Meshaal and allows the Hamas exiled leadership to live in Syria.

REUTERS DKA PM1700