Visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said on Monday that dialogue on forming a Palestinian national unity government should be kept open and continuous.

Haneya made the remarks after meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which he said focused on the issue of the formation of a Palestinian national unity government, according to local media here.

"If there are sides on the Palestinian scene wanting to close the door of dialogue, then they would be the only parties to blame for any consequences," Haneya was quoted as saying.
 
He asserted that forming a unity government is the main demand of his ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), adding "we have made all concessions as we want to lift the siege imposed on the Palestinian people."

Describing talks with the Syrian leaders as good, the Palestinian premier noted that he briefed Assad on the difficult conditions the Palestinian people lived in and they discussed how to cooperate with the Arab and Islamic countries to break the siege imposed on them.

The Hamas-led government has faced political and economic sanctions by the West since it took office in March, as it has rejected international requests of recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and honoring previous agreements signed with Israel.

Moreover, Palestinian political situation was in a stalemate again after the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO),dominated by President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, announced Friday the suspension of talks with Hamas over the formation of a unity government.

The PLO also called for the resignation of the incumbent Prime Minister Haneya, saying conditions set by the Hamas were blocking the formation of the unity government, underlining the need to name a new premier and form a technocrat government.

Haneya arrived in Damascus Sunday evening for a two-day visit to Syria, after he wrapped up trips to Egypt and Qatar on his first foreign tour as premier, which would also take him to some other regional countries, including Lebanon, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2006)