Al-Shara: Israel made a great mistake by its aggression and will pay the price
Syria-Israel, Politics, 4/17/2001

The Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara on Monday evening delivered a message from President Bashar al-Assad to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the Kremlin.

During the meeting, President Putin said that he had agreed with President al-Assad in their telephone conversation on the necessity of enhancing and developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

He added that Russia appreciates Syria's big role in the Middle East, stressing that just, comprehensive and durable peace could not be achieved without the implementation of UN resolutions and taking into account the interests of all parties.

Later in the evening, Minister al-Shara discussed with his Russian counterpart developments in the region, mainly the explosive situation in the Middle East as a result of the aggressive Israeli practices. Earlier in the day, al-Shara arrived in Moscow on an official visit to Russia.

Replying to questions put by pressmen at the airport, the Syrian FM said "Israel is not satisfied with killing and displacing children, and destroying their homes, but it works to expand the range of the military confrontation, and disturb the stability and security of the region, and Israel will be held responsible for all the dangerous consequences."

He added that "the Israeli aggression which targeted a Syrian position in Lebanon is a dangerous violation of the International Law." "Through carrying out such an aggression Israel has committed a grave mistake, and it will pay for it at a suitable time," he added. He continued " through its aggressive acts, Israel does not only kill the Palestinians in the occupied lands, but also kills the peace process, and widens the tension and instability circle." He indicated that during the recent Arab summit in Amman, "the Arab countries warned Israel against the results of implementing threats against Syria and Lebanon, and Arab countries expressed solidarity with Syria and Lebanon." On the topics he is due to discuss with the Russian side al-Shara said that there is no obstacle facing the discussions of any issue between the two countries.

The Russian deputy foreign minister Vasilly Serdin, for his part condemned the Israeli aggression against the Syrian forces in lebanon.

Serdin said that Mr. Al-Shara will hold talks with President Putin and foreign minister Igor Ivanov on the ME peace process and means of consolidating Syrian- Russian relations.

The meeting held between the Syrian FM and President Putin was attended by the Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov and the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at the Russian foreign ministry Alexander Sulanov. The Syrian side was attended by the deputy foreign minister Mrs Siba Nasser, the Syrian ambassador in Russia Wahib Fadel and the director of the of the Syrian foreign ministry's East Europe department Ghassan Raslan.

Previous Stories:
  Israel bombs a Syrian radar station in Lebanon   (4/16/2001)
  Syrian FM insists: no peace without Israel's withdrawal from occupied territories   (4/14/2001)
  Israel arrests an Egyptian sneaked from Syria   (4/14/2001)

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