Marzouki to visit Gaza in February

The Secretary General of the Gaza government, Abdul Salam Siyam, has announced that Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki will arrive in Gaza on February 1 in a visit of solidarity with the Palestinian people and the blockaded Gaza Strip. Describing Marzouki as "a major guest who enjoys a great deal of weight in the Arab and Islamic world as well as North Africa," Siyam said the government was carrying out the necessary preparations to receive him. The visit, he said, "will have political and non-political effects on the overall conditions in Palestine and the brotherly relations between the Palestinian and Tunisian people." He also expressed his appreciation of the current Tunisian administration's "support" of the Palestinian cause. Siyam said the visit by the Tunisian President will be preceded by another by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak mid-week. He will be accompanied by a large ministerial delegation and various teams. This would be the first visit to the Gaza Strip by an Islamic country's PM. Referring to reports of a visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to the Gaza Strip, he said they "currently could not be confirmed," but said any Aran head of state or official is "welcome" to visit the strip. He also said that invitations to visit other countries have reached Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh whom Siyam said is "much loved and respected in many countries." No visits have yet been set but some are being arranged and "could happen at any minute." Speaking on the subject of Palestinian reconciliation, Siyam said the government is ready to take steps in order to achieve reconciliation and "realise the Palestinian people's aspirations." He also expressed his hope that the reconciliation will be seen through. "All government employees, military and civil, will remain in their positions until the leaderships of Fatah and Hamas agree on the detailed, practical steps," he said, reassuring civil servants that the reconciliation "will not be at their expense" and that their rights and privileges will not be altered in any way.