Israeli- Syrian committees on border demarcation, security and waters
Syria-Israel-USA, Politics, 1/6/2000

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met on Wednesday in Shepherdstown with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at 11 p.m., Damascus local time.

The efforts of the four Israeli-Syrian committees which started work earlier in the day were reviewed.

These committees, formed to discuss issues on border demarcation, security arrangements, ordinary peaceful relations and water, had started meetings earlier in the day.

At 4 p.m. Damascus time the equal security arrangements committee and the ordinary peaceful relations committee held a meeting in the presence of the heads of the two delegations, members of the Syrian and Israeli committees and the US teams taking part in the two committees.

The spokesman for the US State Department, James Rubin said the two meetings of the equal security arrangements and ordinary peace relations were "constructive, business-like, and positive in terms of getting down to business, rolling up their sleeves, and trying to work through these complex issues."

Rubin added that Albright made contacts and discussions with the two sides on the issues of borders and water but did not hold any official meetings.

The border demarcation committee held a meeting on Tuesday evening with the US side. It was agreed at the end of the meeting to hold meetings of this committee with the Israeli side and with American participation in order to start demarcation of borders.

The simultaneous meetings of these committees comes in compliance with the Syrian desire after the attempt made by the Israeli delegation to make progress in one of the committees led to a delay in the work of the other committees until Tuesday evening. This situation evoked the US president to intervene through contacts he and Albright made in order to set up all committees and to start their work simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that US President Bill Clinton will decide today the forthcoming steps that can be taken to give the Middle East peace process a push forward.

Previous Stories:
  Meeting between al-Sharaa, Barak and Clinton on after delay   (1/5/2000)
  Second round of Israel- Syrian peace talks open in Washington   (1/4/2000)
  On the current Syrian-Israeli negotiations in Washington   (1/4/2000)

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