Shaath: No disputes with Syria

The Palestinian official in charge of planning and foreign relations in the Palestinian Authority, Nabil Shaath, has stressed that there are no Palestinian - Syrian disputes.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Saudi daily al-Bilad, Shaath said: "We have asked for convening a five-member Arab summit to which four Arab states responded: Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. But Syria said it prefers to convene such a meeting following the formation of Ehud Barak's government. An we are waiting now for Syria's acceptance to convene the summit."

On what had been rumored on Palestinian fears Israel would jump over and surpass the Palestinian track in favor of the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, Shaath said, " We feared Barak's use of the games of tracks in order to pressure us once and once the Syrian."

He added, "We do not fear to have the tracks going together. On the contrary we are keen for a comprehensive solution and Israel's complete withdrawal from the Arab territories in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine."

He continued that a just and comprehensive peace can only be attainable through liberating the Palestinian territories, and "there is no way but to maintain full Arab coordination before returning to negotiations with Israel."