Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has made a visit to Syria for talks with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, president, after pledging to help achieve inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

There is also a suggestion Mahmoud Abbas, president, might meet Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas political leader, who is based in Damascus.

As Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall reports, the visit is an indication of how Syria's role in the Middle East appears to be changing.