Al-Shara concludes Scandinavian tour by visiting Copenhagen
Syria-European Union, Politics, 5/25/2002

The Syrian deputy premier and foreign minister Farouk al-Shara has concluded his tour on several Scandinavian states by a short visit to Denmark, his fourth station coming from the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

In conclusion of an official visit to Sweden al-Shara held a press conference before he had left the journalists club headquarters at the Swedish foreign ministry on Friday morning attended by several Swedish journalists and correspondents of foreign news agencies and TV networking and several Arab journalists in Sweden.

Al-Shara described his talks with the Swedish prime minister and with the foreign minister as concentrated on two main issues. They are developments in the Middle East region, especially the occupied Palestinian territories and the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Syria and Sweden.

Replying to a question if there will be another choice if Israel does not desire to achieve peace, al-Shara said that the Arab leaders discussed this issue at the Beirut's recent Arab summit held in March this year and also at the recent Sharm El- Sheikh summit ( Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt) and agreed on that the stances of the Israeli government will be tested and that Israel will be responsible, any way, for the results of its positions.

Al-Shara added that the US will not be apart from the implications of what is taking place if it will continue to provide Israel with weapons and money for Israel to continue its defiance of the international legitimacy resolutions and its dishonor of the world public opinion.

Replying to a question on the US claims of mentioning Syria's name in the list of terrorist states, al-Shara aid "These claims are false and are in contradiction to what was stated in the American report itself which stresses that there is no evidence that Syria is practicing terrorism." Al-Shara asked that if by these American claims, the US is targeting the Palestinian groups in Syria, then why does the US not force Israel to return back those Palestinian refugees who live in Syria to their homeland Palestine?

On Friday afternoon al-Shara concluded his tour to the Scandinavian countries. In Copenhagen where he had held talks with the Danish foreign minister at the Danish foreign minister. The meeting was attended by members of the Syrian delegation and high ranking Danish foreign ministry.

The discussions dealt with the Arab initiative, the European role especially the role played by Denmark when it assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second part of this year. Al-Shara and his Danish peer reviewed bilateral relations and agreed on the importance of strengthening them in all fields especially in the economic and trade areas. They agreed to follow up consultations with highly ranking officials representing the two countries for serving common interests and the peace cause in general.

Following the end of the talks, al-Shara and his Danish peer held a joint press conference in which they stressed their joint desire to foster relations between the two countries. They also stressed that ending the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories is the means to end tension in the Middle East and finding a juts and comprehensive solutions for the Arab Israeli conflict in the region.

The Danish foreign minister describe his talks with al-Shara as good and constructive and that Syria is an important country that played a main role in the Middle East. The Danish minister also expressed his total support for the Arab initiative for peace approved by the Beirut's summit.

Al-Shara also held a meeting with the foreign relations committee at the Danish parliament in which he explained conditions in the Middle East following recent developments in the occupied territories and the crimes committed by Israel especially in Jenin and Nablus.

Al-Shara also discussed possibilities of the future and the need of unifying Arab and European efforts to implement international resolutions as a base to attain a settlement.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Shara opens Syria's embassy in Stockholm, meets officials   (5/24/2002)
  Al-Shara meets with EU ambassadors accredited in Damascus   (5/17/2002)
  Syria will not attend Euro- Mediterranean conference; Israel cited   (4/20/2002)

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