Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda plans to meet exiled Hamas Political Bureau leader Khaled Mashal in Damascus, Syria in early February in an effort to encourage the establishment of a unity government representing all factions in Palestine, an Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

The foreign minister will Mashal during his visit to Syria from Feb. 4 to 5 and will discuss with him the possible planned-meeting of Hamas leaders with the Indonesian government in Jakarta at the beginning of this year, spokesman Yohanes Kristianto Soeryo Legowo told a press briefing here.

In May last year, Palestine invited the Indonesian foreign minister to meet the Hamas leader, said Yohanes.

Indonesia has put on agenda the way or method of settlement to the dispute between Palestinian mainstream Fatah and radical Hamas during the upcoming meeting with Hamas leaders in Jakarta, he said.

Indonesia has vowed to contribute to the settlement of the Palestine issue.

"Our agenda is to push forward the effort for the establishment of a unity government of Palestine," said Yohanes.

"So I can say that it (the meeting in Damascus) is highly related with our effort (to hold the meeting in Jakarta), about when it will be held, it will depend on the result of the consultation with the Hamas bureau leader," he said.

As there are still some elements where Hamas and Fatah disagree, such as the recognition of Israel, the spokesman said: "We hope that later they can reach an agreement, so that the unity government can be set up."

About the recognition of the state of Israel, Yohanes said "let them discuss among themselves afterwards."

Indonesia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and it will stick to separation of the state of Israel and Palestine, he said.

Both Fatah and Hamas have tried for months to discuss the establishment of a unity government in the hope of ending a boycott and aid freeze by the United States and the European Union, which has paralyzed the Palestinian economy.

Source: Xinhua