Al-Shara briefs on middle east developments
Syria-Regional, Politics, 7/28/2003

Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Shara has stressed Syria's readiness to work with all sides concerned with disarming the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction and with realizing just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the international resolutions, land for peace formula, Madrid terms of reference and the Arab peace initiative.

Regarding future of peace process, al-Shara underlined that Israel is playing a clear role in foiling any international resolution to realize peace.

In an open dialogue meeting in Damascus on Sunday with the journalists, al-Shara said that we have promises by senior U.S. officials that Israel will withdraw to the June, 4, 1967 line and that the United States doesn't agree on joining one inch of the occupied Golan to Israel.

He wondered how the United States can ask Syria requests which it considers them as conditions for reviving the peace process, when at the same time it didn't fulfill its promises.

Regarding obscurity of the roadmap and exclusion of Syria and Lebanon from this map, al-Shara said the exclusion is evident, pointing out that the Quartet committee put things right when it included its statement in Amman with Madrid terms of reference, the international resolutions and Arab peace Initiative.

Regarding the attempts to separate the Syrian and Lebanese track, al-Shara said that separating the two tracks doesn't mean that they want to establish peace with Syria or with Lebanon, but that they want to achieve an organic separation of the distinguished fraternal relation between the two states.

In response to a question on the Syria's accountability act promoted by some in the US Congress to place pressure in Syria and the Syrian - American relations, the minister said that Israel is considered the main source of information to the American higher officials and that Israel stands behind the deteriorated relations between the Arab and US. Al-Shara added that Syria is not against any logical dialogue with the US that safeguards the interest of the two countries.

Regarding Syria's stand towards the transitional Government Council in Iraq, al-Shara said that accepting or rejecting it is a matter for the Iraqi people and that the council is in front of a test of credibility. Syria will judge it through its capability to represent Iraq and to lead it to an elected national government that gains legitimacy on the Iraqi and international levels.

Concerning the Arab - Arab relations, al-Shara said that these relations are passing through a review stage, and the previous situation is no longer suitable to be continued without taking new reform steps. He stressed that getting out of the heavy frustration situation, which Arab fell during the current stage, is a national and pan-Arab duty.

What happened in Iraq and Palestine would not have happened unless Israel and those who support it felt that the Arabs have taken the right step --- two years ago when Arabs have agreed unanimously at Beirut Summit to achieve peace, and they concluded their meeting by Arab reconciliation, al-Shara added.

This matter has pushed Israel and those who support it to launch the wars in Palestine and Iraq in order to prevent Arabs from any civilized and reasonable possibility for any rising.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Shara holds telephone talks with Moussa   (7/22/2003)
  Al-Assad: the Roadmap does not include the Syrian track   (7/16/2003)
  Al-Shara- Qaddoumi and Maher   (6/30/2003)

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