Ben Ali confers with the Amir of Qatar

Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali yesterday held talks in Tunis with the Amir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, that dealt with bilateral relations and current regional issues.

The spokesman for the Tunisian Presidency said that the two leaders "stressed the need of mobilizing all efforts in support of the Palestinian issue and ensuring necessary protection for the Palestinian people." They stressed the " need of supporting inter- Arab solidarity with the aim of bolstering common Arab action in light of convening the next Arab summit in Tunisia."