Palestinian envoy in Damascus

Palestinian sources said that PLO executive committee member and member of the Palestinian National Council Asaad Abdul Rahman arrived in Damascus, sent by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

The sources said Syrian officials had not so far received him, noting "He carries a Palestinian desire to reopen the file of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria after Israel neglected this matter."

The Palestinian sources also quoted Abdul Rahman as expressing Arafat's interest in restoring Syrian - Palestinian coordination.

Syria has on several occasions refused Arafat's proposals being unconvinced of the Palestinian leader's seriousness concerning Arab coordination. President al-Assad met Arafat on the sidelines of the 8th Islamic summit conference held in December 1997 in Tehran.

The Palestinians expressed Arafat's desire to visit Syria to meet with President al-Assad, but no date has been fixed as yet for such a visit.