Damascus officially recognizes the Palestinian Authority

News reports in Damascus quoted Palestinian sources saying that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat had agreed on " continued coordination" on the ground of " five main principles" and that the chairman of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi will arrive in Damascus tomorrow ( Saturday) in preparation for Arafat's expected visit on April 15 and 17.

Meanwhile, several leaders of the opposition Palestinian organization welcomed the first meeting between the Syrian President and Arafat since many years because such a meeting will lead to " strengthening the Palestinian position in the peace negotiations." It was remarkable and evident that the official Syrian media had started to give the name " the chairman of the Palestinian National Authority" to Yasser Arafat in a first stand of its kind, since strong criticism by Damascus to Oslo agreements and Arafat's violation of coordination with Damascus in 1993.

The Palestinian sources explained that the al-Assad- Arafat meeting on Tuesday in Amman on the sideline of the Arab summit lasted for 45 minutes and was "warm" and that the Palestinian President " praised President al-Assad speech at the summit and his support for the Palestinian Intifada " and that al-Qaddoumi will meet within the two next days the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara in the presence of Faisal al-Husseini.