Abbas visits Tunisia to discuss Palestinian’s issues

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has confirmed that his visit to Tunisia is in order to inform the Tunisian government with the developments regarding the Palestinian issue, and to congratulate the Tunisian people on succeeding to conduct democratic elections. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Thursday with several leaders of Tunisian political parties like "Ettakatol" Secretary General Mustapha Ben Jaafar, Initiative Party President Kamel Morjane and spokesman for the Modernist Democratic Pole PDM Jounaidi Abdeljawad. He also conferred with national figures, including notably higher committee for the achievement of the Revolution objectives, political reform and democratic transition president Yadh Ben Achour, President of the National Committee of Investigation into Corruption and Abuse Abdelfattah Omar and President of the Bar Abderrazak Kilani. In a statement to TAP news agency on the sidelines of these talks, Saeb Erekat, PLO Executive Committee member and chief negotiator of the Palestinian authority, said he was convinced that "the Tunisian Revolution will certainly reinforce the process of building-up democracy in the Arab world," adding that "deep-rooting democracy in the Arab states will benefit the Palestinian cause." As regards the US stand about the approval of Palestine's UNESCO membership, he said "this approval is a moral victory in matters of international relations," stressing that the Palestinian authority is not seeking, through application for UN membership, "confrontation with the United States" but rather endeavouring to reposition Palestine in the region and world map. The Palestinian President is expected to meet with the Caretaker and the Interim Prime Minister and to hold a news conference on Friday on the aim of his current visit in Tunisia.