On Houston's meetings between Syria and the US
Syria-USA, Politics, 5/25/2002

News reports on Friday said that Syria and the US have taken steps aiming at finding a common ground towards various issues like terrorism and peace in the Middle East, and that this was in a conference held this week at Rice University, noting that the two sides, yet have many things to do.

The reports added that prominent businessmen and politicians as well as intellectuals from both Syria and the US held meetings that lasted for three days and concluded on Wednesday evening at Rice University in Houston.

On Thursday evening, Edward Djerjian the director of The Baker Institute For Public Policy at Rice University and former US ambassador to Syria said that the meetings were held away from the mass media and the public, noting that the meetings, in particular, concentrated mainly and intensively on the question of terrorism.

Djerjian expected Syria to make more effort and that it seems that there is a real readiness to build cooperation in practical means concerning the question of terrorism.

Djerjian indicated that he can give no further details because the meetings were very special and secret, noting that the Syrians did not take part in the press conference which was held on Thursday.

The reports added that the Syrian deputy foreign minister Walid al-Muaallim, who was also Syria's former ambassador to the US presided over the Syrian delegation to the meetings while the US senator Arlen Specter and the US under secretary of state for the near east affairs William Burns were among the American officials who took part in the meetings.

The reports added that the meetings which were held this week came following the talks held by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with Djerjian in January this year.

Djerjian said another session will be held in Damascus either next Autumn or winter.

However, in its annual report which was issued last Tuesday, the US State Department put Syria's name among other seven countries in the list of countries which sponsored terrorism in 2001, but it mentioned Syria's name as one of the ME states which showed great and unprecedented degree of cooperation for fighting terrorism.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian, American officials meet in Houston   (5/23/2002)
  Al-Assad calls on US to be objective   (5/6/2002)
  A dialogue between Syria, the UN in Damascus, mid June   (5/3/2002)

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