Palestinian president to meet Harper on Tuesday

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas here on Tuesday, officials said.

In a statement on Saturday, Harper said he looked forward to the meeting and "discussing the current peace process and the important security and economic issues that face the Palestinian Authority.

"We continue to work in good faith with president Abbas, whom the government of Canada recognizes as a legitimate representative of Palestinian interests in the wider Middle East."

Abbas is also expected to inaugurate the Palestinian government's new offices in the capital before traveling to Washington to meet with US President Barack Obama on May 28.

Abbas, who last visited Ottawa in May 2005, recently met with Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon during his Mideast tour in February.

Since taking office in 2006, Harper's Conservative government has firmly sided with Israel in Mideast affairs and was first to suspend aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas won elections the same year.

Hamas has been listed in Canada as a terrorist organization since 2002, "responsible for several hundred terrorist attacks against both civilian and military targets," according to a government website.

In January, Arab ambassadors over what they viewed as Ottowa's "unbalanced" Mideast policies, notably in the recent Gaza conflict.

"Canada is committed to the peace process in the Middle East," Harper said.

"We continue to support regional leaders who share our commitment to the principles of non-violence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations."