On al- Assad's visit to Paris
Syria-France, Politics, 6/26/2001

The London- based al-Hayat daily said on Monday, according to well-informed sources that the two messages President Bashar al-Assad is carrying to Paris are commitment to the option of peace and economic reforms and the existence of a unanimous Syrian stand on that, including those who are called " the old guards."

In its Monday's issue, the paper added that Khaddam's participation in the delegation is a remarkable thing because he has no counterpart in the French side, noting that the information available in Syria indicates that there is a unanimous position towards the foreign policy and that there are figures among those who are called " the old guards" who strongly support the march of reforms more often than those persons counted as " new guards."

For its part, the London- based al-Sharq al- Awsat also said that the Jewish circles who sympathize with Israel in France and its backing circles accelerated their preparations to protest against President Bashar's visit to France.

The paper added that the representation council of the Jewish organizations in France, the Jewish students federation and the Jewish societies called for demonstration against this visit.

According to French sources, the paper said that Paris wants to convey several messages to the Syrian President. The first is the top priority France gives to re-launching the movement of openness and modernization in Syria, economically, politically and socially, as well as the question of human rights in Syria, the conditions in the Palestinian territories and the need of not obstructing the perpetuating of the truce ( between Israel and the Palestinians ) and calling on Syria to cooperate with the efforts towards implementing the recommendations of the Mitchell committee.

The paper added that Paris will also seek to ask about the recent re-deployment of the Syrian forces in Lebanon and the indicators behind this re-deployment and honoring the blue line between Lebanon and Israel.

In Jordan, the Jordanian daily al-Dostour issued on Monday said that France may debate during the talks the question of the re-deployment of the Syrian forces in Lebanon and may seek to have a license from Damascus for the return back of the former Lebanese opposition members.

In al-Riyadh the Saudi daily al-Watan said that the French will give President Bashar al-Assad five main recommendations during his visit to France, stressing that this visit is very special since it is almost rare that an invitation was extended to a Middle East state President who only assumed power in his country just since one year to visit France, besides Chirac refused a request submitted by the French- Jewish organization to cancel this visit.

In a report from Paris, the paper added that the five recommendations which the French will give to President al-Assad, according to European diplomatic sources are: that Syria to practically maintain staying within the context of the peace process, regardless to the statement and rhetorical positions issued by the officials in Syria, strongly criticizing Israel, explaining that to be within the context of the peace process requires, according to the French, not to provoke the Israeli prime minister nor to give him any pretext to strike the Syrian positions and to encourage acts that will drag the region into a new military confrontation.

Al-Watan added that the second recommendation is that the Syrian leadership to use all her influence in order to prevent the Hizbullah from carrying out new operations against the Israelis from South Lebanon, from Shebaa farms or from other positions. And the third recommendation is that Syria to support the American European and International diplomatic efforts made to fix the security truce between the Palestinians and the Israelis and to understand the conditions of Yasser Arafat and therefore to abstain encouraging the Palestinian organizations which oppose the peace process from carrying out attacks against the Israelis and to support in a way or another the recommendations of the Mitchell committee, noting that the French will tell President al-Assad that they are ready to convey any Syrian message to the Israelis and are ready to make diplomatic efforts and to encourage the American administration to work for reviving the Syrian- Israeli negotiation track.

The paper said that the fourth recommendation pertains to the Lebanese internal situation. It noted that the French officials will stress to President al-Assad they refuse interference in the Lebanese- Syrian relations and also refuse to adopt the demands of the Lebanese opposition who call for the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon and within this framework the French will welcome the re-deployment of the Syrian forces in Lebanon and will recommend President al- Assad to continue the policy of openness on various Lebanese opposition forces, including the opposition forces.

The fifth recommendation is that the Syrian leadership to continue honoring the implementation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council relating to the Iraqi problem. And the French will, in particular, encourage President al-Assad to abide by the implementation of the decision expected to be released by the UN Security Council resolutions including new sanctions on Iraq.

The paper explained in addition to these basic recommendations, the French officials intend to encourage the President to continue the process of reforms, modernization and openness in Syria. The paper also said that the visit will result in signing several bilateral agreements and that President Chirac will visit Syria before the end of this year.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Assad heads for Paris today   (6/25/2001)
  French paper and Syrian redeployment in Lebanon   (6/25/2001)
  On al-Assad's visit to France   (6/24/2001)

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