Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has invited his Palestinian counterpart, Dr Ziad Abu Amr, a leading moderate in the Palestinian National Authority, to visit Ireland during the next few weeks.
"I believe it is important to meet Dr Abu Amr in the immediate future because of the close involvement Ireland has in nurturing a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict," Mr Ahern said.
"From our contacts with the Palestinian Authority and the foreign minister, a visit to Ireland is deemed to be very worthwhile. It will also build on the very valuable contacts and understanding which has emerged from my visit to the Middle East earlier this year.
"The foreign minister as an independent member of the Palestinian legislature has played a very important role in brokering the recent arrangements between the differing Palestinian groups. He has a very strong role to play in the future of the Palestinian Authority and I look forward to meeting him very shortly," Mr Ahern added.
Regarded as a reform-minded technocrat, Dr Abu Amr has acted as an intermediary in the resolution of disputes between the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah.
On a visit to Paris earlier this month, he said Hamas was transforming its political ideology for the sake of remaining in the political process.
"One year ago, the movement would never have accepted a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders," he said. "When things move with such speed in one year, it makes me think the movement is ready to change."
However, Hamas has yet to renounce violence or explicitly recognise Israel. The EU continues to bypass the Palestinian administration and supply aid directly to the people, while it assesses the intentions of the Hamas-Fatah coalition.
Dr Abu Amr has been foreign minister of the Palestinian National Authority since last month. Beginning his career as an independent candidate in the 1996 general election, he won a seat representing Gaza City on the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). During this period, he chaired the PLC's political committee.
In 2003, he was minister of culture in the government of the prime minister (now president) Mahmoud Abbas.
