New Palestinian PM pledges full cooperation with Abbas

Newly-inaugurated Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said on Wednesday that his Hamas-led cabinet would fully cooperate with President Mahmoud Abbas.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after the swearing-in ceremony in Gaza City, Haneya said that the new cabinet and Abbas would build up relations of "harmony, cooperation and coordination. "

"We will work together to serve the highest interests of the Palestinian people in face of coming challenges," said Haneya, who was standing among nine cabinet ministers based in the Gaza Strip.

The 24-member Hamas-led new Palestinian government was sworn in earlier on Wednesday in ceremonies held in both the West Bank city of Ramallah and Gaza City via video link since Israel banned travel of Hamas officials. President Abbas presided over the ceremony in Gaza City.

Haneya described the inauguration a "historic moment" in the history of the Palestinian people.

The prime minister also thanked Abbas for sponsoring the democratic process all the way from holding the January legislative elections to Wednesday's swearing in.

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, defeated Abbas' long dominant Fatah movement in the key Jan. 15 polls and single- handedly formed the new government after other factions including Fatah refused to participate in a national coalition.

The Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) overwhelmingly approved the new cabinet and its government agenda on Tuesday.

President Abbas, on his part, told reporters after the inauguration that he and the Hamas cabinet should spare no effort to overcome differences and establish firm cooperation.

In addition, Abbas said that he was ready to hold negotiations with the coming new Israeli government, but voiced strong opposition to any Israeli unilateral moves.

Israel's Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party won the most seats in Tuesday's general elections and is currently engaged in haggling with potential partners for a coalition government.

Olmert has announced that he intends to unilaterally fix the borders with the Palestinians within four years by quitting isolated settlements in the West Bank but consolidating bigger ones.

In addition, Olmert has vowed to avoid all contacts with the Palestinian government led by Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel's destruction.

Source: Xinhua