DAMASCUS - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Monday that efforts to form a Palestinian Authority national unity government must continue and have not reached a dead end.

Haniyeh was in Damascus on Monday for talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad on developments in the Palestinian Authority and efforts to form a national unity government, SANA news agency reported.

"The door for dialogue must be kept open and talks between the Palestinians must continue," Haniyeh told reporters in the Syrian capital.

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"However, if there are sides among the Palestinians who want to close the door on dialogue, then they alone would bear responsibility for the results of their position," he said, referring to the Fatah faction headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Assad asserted Syria's full support of the Palestinian people, their efforts to establish an independent state, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and the need to break the siege imposed on the Palestinian people.

Haniyeh, who arrived in Syria on Sunday on a four-day visit, conferred with Syrian Vice-President Farouk al-Sharaa earlier on Monday.

On Sunday, as part of his first foreign trip since the Hamas-led government took office in March, he also met Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otari for talks on extending cooperation.

On Tuesday, Haniyeh is scheduled to hold talks with the leaders of Palestinian factions based in Syria on efforts to form a national unity government, the report said.

German foreign minister arrives in Damascus for talks
Germany's foreign minister discussed developments in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian Authority with Syrian officials Monday during a visit aimed at exploring possibilities for diplomatic progress in the Middle East.

Steinmeier urged Damascus to use its influence with Hamas to facilitate peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. He said there were "delicate signs of hope" in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

"It is useful for Syria to play a constructive role in this issue through its active role in influencing Hamas to move forward in the peace process," Steinmeier said. Syria can benefit from taking this road and could find Germany to be its ally and partner, he added.

Syria's official news agency SANA said that Assad told Steinmeier that "Syria is part of the solution, not part of the problem." Assad also said that Syria "does not interfere in the others' internal affairs."

Steinmeier is also scheduled to meet with President Bashar Assad and his deputy Farouk al-Sharaa during the one-day visit.

Steinmeier canceled a planned trip to Damascus in August at the last minute to protest an anti-Israel speech by President Bashar Assad.

His aides said Sunday that he would visit Syria following his talks in the Lebanese capital, to stress the importance of recognizing Lebanon's sovereignty if Damascus wants to remove itself from international isolation.

Steinmeier met Saturday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and underlined Germany's support for the embattled Lebanese government in the face of Hezbollah-led street protests to force it to resign.

He said he plans to meet with Assad to send the message that, "Whoever wants to start a different development must clearly show in their relations to Lebanon that they recognize the sovereignty of this land."

Steinmeier's spokesman, Martin Jaeger, had said last week that Berlin hopes to persuade Syria to take a "constructive role" in Lebanon and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Steinmeier visit to Damascus is also expected to focus on relations between Syria and the European Union as Berlin prepares to take over the presidency of the European Union and Group of Eight in January, as well as the situation in Iraq.