DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday held talks with visiting Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, after pledging to help achieve inter-Palestinian reconciliation, state news agency SANA reported.
The agency quoted Abbas as saying he would also discuss with Assad "peace negotiations with Israel."
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political chief of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas which seized power in Gaza a year ago during deadly fighting with Fatah forces loyal to Abbas, is based in Syria.
The takeover effectively split the Palestinians into two entities as Abbas security forces fled from the impoverished territory for the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Last month Abbas called for talks with Hamas, breaking with his previous position that the movement must relinquish power in Gaza before any negotiations can take place.
After a meeting on Thursday with Assad, the Hamas supremo reiterated that he is willing to hold reconciliation talks with Fatah.
"Hamas welcomes Palestinian reconciliation and any serious national dialogue that cures the divisions," he told reporters.
Assad for his part pledged that Syria "will continue its efforts to guarantee the reunification of Palestinian ranks," SANA reported after the meeting.
But Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina has ruled out any meeting between Abbas and Meshaal in Damascus, although he stressed that the Palestinian president's offer for talks with Hamas was still on the table.
"There are no arrangements for such any meeting with Hamas leaders or others," Abu Rudeina told reporters in Jordan on Saturday.
A Hamas official denounced the decision.
"The refusal of Abbas to meet with Hamas shows that he is complying with the US policies that rejects (inter-Palestinian) dialogue," the official told AFP.
"We are surprised by this position particularly since last month Abbas launched his initiative (for talks) and Hamas accepted it," he added.
Upon arrival in Syria from neighbouring Jordan, Abbas said he will discuss with Assad "negotiations with Israel, the truce (between Israel and Hamas) and the Palestinian initiative for national unity," SANA reported.
"We will consult our Syrian brothers on all those issues," SANA quoted Abbas as saying.
Israel and Syria announced in May that they were holding indirect peace talks brokered by Turkey. Last Thursday, they decided to pursue the talks on a regular basis, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.
Hamas has also agreed to a six-month truce with Israel.
US expects modest gains from thaw with Syria