Al-Shara conversation with de Villepin, and talks with Larsen on Iraq
Syria-France, Politics, 11/8/2002

The Foreign minister Farouk al-Shara yesterday received a telephone call from the French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and discussions dealt with the current UN Security Council deliberations concerning Iraq.

The French minister explained the importance of preserving the UN Security Council unity and the importance of the position to be taken by Syria during voting on the amended US decision on the ground that Syria represents the Arab group at the UN Security Council, and to the fact that Syria had exerted relentless efforts inside and outside the UN Security Council in order to avoid Iraq military confrontations.

The French foreign minister added that the US new amended draft resolution, though in need of further discussions in many of its items, but it no longer states authorizing the use of force automatically against Iraq. The French minister expressed his hope that the current discussions will be conducive to issuing a unanimous resolution at the UN Security Council.

For his part, the Foreign minister al-Shara expressed Syria's care to maintain the unity of the UN Security Council according to clear basics. He stressed that Syria backs the return back of the UN inspectors to Iraq in order to make sure that Iraq is free from mass destruction weapons, especially as the Iraqi leadership has approved their return back and stressed cooperation with them unconditionally.

Al-Shara stressed that any resolutions to be issued by the UN Security Council should not implicitly or explicitly refer to the possibility of the use of force against Iraq.

Al-Shara continued that Syria is careful to continue coordination and consultation with France and other friendly countries in order to ensure the restoration of a peaceful solutions that comes up with the return back of UN inspectors to Iraq and continuing their mission on the framework of Iraq's commitment to unconditional cooperation.

Al-Shara added "We still need some time to study the amended US draft resolution and to maintain consultations concerning it before it will be voted on at the UN Security Council" especially in considering the meeting which will be held next Sunday in Cairo for the Arab foreign ministers.

Al- Shara also met yesterday with the special envoy for the ME Terry Rod Larsen and members of the accompanying delegation.

The meeting was attended by Syria's permanent representative at the UN and the director of the foreign media department at the foreign ministry Buthina Shabaan.

Syria said that discussions during the meeting dealt with "the developments of conditions in the region especially in the occupied Palestinian territories as a result of the continued aggressions against unarmed Palestinian people and the absence of any prospects for peace under the escalation of the extremist Israeli policy."

In this regard, both al-Shara and Larsen stressed the UN responsibility to implementing its resolutions relating to the Arab- Israeli conflict, in the same interest shown in implementing UN resolutions concerning Iraq, on the ground that the UN credibility lies in clinging to one criterion and adherence to its principles and charter.

Larsen described his talks with al-Shara as short, fruitful and dealt with conditions in the region. In statements in Damascus following the meeting, Larsen said that his talks in Damascus dealt with the tense situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the continued violations of human rights in Gaza and the West Bank.

Larsen stressed the need of Israel's abidance by the international resolutions and implementing these resolutions in the occupied Arab territories. He indicated the efforts made by the UN and its secretary general for achieving peace in the region and halting the "mass annihilation operations against the Palestinian people."

Previous Stories:
  Al- Assad, Chirac discuss peace efforts, Iraq   (10/21/2002)
  Syria, France for developing bilateral relations   (10/7/2002)
  Chirac to visit Syria mid October   (9/23/2002)

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