On Vedrine's visit to Damascus
Syria-France, Politics, 4/30/2001

The London- based al-Hayat daily said on Sunday in a report from Damascus that the French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine has reached, during his talks with the Syrian officials, the conviction that Damascus will not give the Israeli prime minister Sharon " a gift" to escalate matters in the Middle East.

The paper quoted well-informed sources as saying that several openness steps are expected in the internal political life in Syria in the coming phase which will witness the visit of President Bashar al-Assad to Spain after two days.

The sources told the paper that these steps will enhance the continuity of the gradual Syrian reforms projects on the wake of the Pope's arrival in Damascus.

The paper on the other hand, quoted a French diplomatic source as saying that Vedrine held expanded talks with the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara before his meeting with President Bashar al-Assad when he listened to the Syrian assessment to the policy pursued by Sharon and to the Israeli policy towards Lebanon, and evaluation to the Arab summit in Amman and to the Turkish policy and the forthcoming visit of the President to Algeria after his tour on the Arab Maghreb ( Morocco) and Tunisia..

The source added that Damascus thinks that the current stalemate will last long, expecting Sharon to stay longer in power and there are no prospects for a solution. Vedrine did not feel great fears of a regional explosion, rather he listened to a realistic analysis and expectation of a deterioration in the Israeli condition coupled with controlled Israeli reactions but such drastic conditions will not lead to a regional war.

The source noted that there is a perception in minister Vedrine that the Syrian side started to adapt to the reality that Sharon's policy will last long.

Al-Hayat said that minister al-Shara strongly criticized the Turkish policies and that he referred that the sanctions imposed on Iraq only succeeded in strengthening the position of the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and that as far as these sanctions are perpetuated his ( Saddam 's) post will be reinforced. al-Shara questioned how Washington will change these sanctions.

Previous Stories:
  French FM in Damascus tomorrow   (4/26/2001)
  On al-Assad's visit to France   (3/31/2001)
  French sources: President al-Assad to visit Paris in May or June   (1/25/2001)

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

Search