Syria's absence from Marseilles conference
Syria-Regional, Politics, 11/17/2000

The political sciences professor at Surbbonne University in Paris Dr. Burhan Ghalyoun has expressed his conviction that the absence of Syria and Lebanon from the Euro-Med Cooperation conference which started in Marseilles on Wednesday is due to the fact that France did not try to show support for the cause of Palestine.

Ghalyoun added in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday that the resolutions of the Islamic summit in Doha surfaced the disputes among the Arab sides over the participation in this conference, especially that the decisions of this summit were not clear and reflected the fact that the Arabs are not able to implement what were stated in them.

He also expressed his conviction that it would be better for the Arab states to go to Marseilles conference in one and also for Syria and Lebanon to take part together with other Arab states in it despite their reservations and objections because the Arabs non- participation shows the Arab line as being divided. He explained that the conference will never be for the interests of Israel, rather a venue through which the Arab states can unveil Israel and call on Europe to establish Arab- European cooperation relations in a framework that rules out Israel.

Meantime, The British daily " The Financial Times" said that Syria and Lebanon's boycotting of the Euro-Med. conference which started its works in Marseilles on Wednesday had weakened the conference.

The British paper which was issued on Thursday said that the European officials admitted that the Syrian- Lebanese boycott of the conference in protest of Israel's participation will not be given up.

The paper expected the conference to be changed into a forum for criticism of the participation delegations for the Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Worthy mentioning is that the participation of Syria and Lebanon at the Euro-Med Partnership conference is because of the non- clear position of the European Union towards the Israeli practices against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories and in implementation of the two summits of the Arab and Islamic summits to boycotting any meeting for cooperation with Israel.

Previous Stories:
  Shara: Israel's threats are a political discrepancy   (11/16/2000)
  Syria will not attend Euro- Mediterranean partnership conference   (11/15/2000)
  Al-Shara meets with Kharazi at Doha conference   (11/11/2000)

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