On Arafat's visit to Damascus

The Omani daily al-Watan said on Friday quoting Palestinian sources in Damascus as saying that contacts between Damascus and Gaza still continue to set a date for the visit of Yasser Arafat to Damascus.

These sources added that Arafat asked his visit to be made on May 6th and this visit to be ended the same day, but the Syrian foreign ministry had reservation for that because Damascus does not want the visit to be just a protocol one, rather to settle of obstacles hindering the relations and to maintain a joint understanding.

The sources refused to links between the postponement of Arafat's visit to Damascus and the Syrian stand which rejects the Egyptian- Jordanian initiative, saying that it is true that Syria refuses the initiative and considers it a bad example, as stated by one of the Israeli officials during his meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa three days ago.

Arafat's visit to Damascus aims at discussing key issues with the Syrian side relating to the stand regarding developments taking place in the region.