Canadian premier: Al-Assad has a strong desire for peace
Syria-Canada, Politics, 4/19/2000

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Tuesday in Damascus received Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and members of the accompanying delegation.

The meeting was attended by Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro, Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara and the Canadian ambassador in Damascus.

Talks dealt with the situation in the region, the Middle East peace process and the stages it has gone through. Al-Assad told Chretien that Syria, which he said had opened the door for the peace process in the region, clings to the objective of achieving a just and comprehensive peace. The two sides discussed bilateral relations.

Later in the day in a pre-departure press conference at Damascus airport the Canadian prime minister described his talks with the Syrian president as very good, saying that he listened to President al-Assad on the Syrian position concerning the Middle East peace process.

In the press conference which came at the conclusion of a two day visit held to Damascus, Chretien said: "I have expressed in the presence of President al-Assad, as I have also expressed before the Israeli side that peace should be attained in the region."

He continued: "I have discussed with President Hafez al-Assad other issues including bilateral relations and means of improving them, especially in the economic domain."

The Canadian prime minister also spoke about the issue of the Palestinian refugees and the issue of the Canadian presence in the region in the framework of the UN forces.

The Canadian Prime minister was asked how he found President al-Assad's position concerning the question of Tiberis lake, and Chretien said: "President Hafez al-Assad has explained his country's position to this effect to the public opinion, and he explained it clearly for me. I thanked him for this explanation." He added, "I have told the Israelis, a solution should be found for this problem through negotiations."

He continued: "I was impressed by President al-Assad's desire to achieve peace."

Answering a question on Syria's call for the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the territories Israel had occupied in 1967 in implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and whether Canada backs this Syrian position, the Canadian prime minister stated: "We back the pullout of the Israeli forces from the Golan Heights, the same as we do for the withdrawal of these forces from south Lebanon."

Chretien was asked how Canada would help in giving the Middle East peace process a push forward and whether such help will be in collaboration with the European Union or the US, the Canadian prime minister said: "I do not think we can play a positive role because basically, the negotiations should be bilateral and Israel should maintain an understanding with Syria on the issue of establishing peace and we cannot stand in the middle of these negotiations." The Canadian premier said: "What I want to say that President al-Assad has stated clearly he wants the peace process to continue to the end and that he has a strong desire to establish peace."

Replying to a question on the selectivity by the Israeli side in implementing international legitimacy and whethe it serves the peace process to implement one UN resolution and leave others-- in reference to Israel's ignoring of the implementation of UN resolutions 242 and 338-- the Canadian premier said that all these matters should be solved during negotiations between Syria and Israel. "I cannot be the judge between them, and nobody asked me to do so," he commented.

Replying to a question on the results he has reached during his tour of the region and the impact of these results on the peace process, the Canadian prime minister said: "I found out that there is a desire to achieve a stable and durable peace in all stations of my tour, a matter which reflects the interests of all. And if all sides concerned want peace, they have to find out the way, and I do encourage them for that because peace serves all."

Chretien said that peace is very important for the economic and social development of the region, at a time when the world moves towards globalization. He said that concentration of any country in the world should be made on investment in the areas of education and technology to attain the best possible position in the "global village."

The Canadian prime minister concluded by saying, "I am very pleased to visit Syria. I was welcomed very warmly by the Syrian prime minister and I am also happy to be the first Canadian prime minister to visit Syria. And I believe that Syria and Canada will benefit from this visit for their joint interests."

Earlier in the day, the Canadian prime minister visited the martyrs monument at Qasyoun mountain in Damascus and laid a wreath on the martyrs monument.

After the press conference the Canadian prime minister and his wife left Damascus following a two-day official visit, and he was seen off at the airport by Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro and his wife, high-ranking Syrian officials concerned, the charge de affairs of the Syrian embassy in Canada, Ahmad Arnous, and the ambassador of Canada in Damascus.

Previous Stories:
  Canadian premier talks in Damascus   (4/18/2000)
  Canada's prime minister arrives in Damascus today   (4/17/2000)
  Canada: Chretien's visit to Syria aims at strengthening relations, boosting ME peace   (4/14/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search