Al-Assad wants good relations between Greece and Turkey; a region free of nuclear weapons
Syria-Greece, Politics, 12/18/2003

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and the Greek Prime Minister Constantinous Costa Simitis held a meeting attended by members of the Syrian delegation and the Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, his Deputy and the Greek Ambassador to Syria.

Following the meeting, Simitis told the reporters in a statement that President Bashar al-Assad's visit expresses good relations between the two countries, stressing that there is a deep understanding on various issues of joint cooperation.

On the Middle East issue, Simitis said Syria and Greece agree there must be a peace settlement on the basis of implementing peace obligations, especially between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

He also stressed that such a settlement should involve other parties, namely Syria and Lebanon.

A-Assad for his part thanked the Greek government for the efforts made to ensure success of this visit. He also thanked the "friendly Greek people for the hospitality" accorded to him in Athens.

The president said talks with the Greek officials, party leaders and groups of Parliamentarians were very positive. He called upon the Greek government to help find a solution and play a constructive role in settling the thorny issues in the region.

Al-Assad made clear that the possibilities of war in the region are still open, due to the incitements by those who push for war.

Hence, there was a Syrian initiative at the Security Council few months ago on ridding the ME of mass destructive weapons. "We asked Mr. Simitis to have his country support this Syrian initiative through the European Union," president al-Assad said.

On his comments on Iraq, he pointed out that the Iraqi people should be given the full freedom to draw up their constitution, form their own government, and run their own affairs.

About relations with Turkey, the president stressed there is a real desire from both parties to strengthen bilateral relations.

Syria is keen on combating terrorism as our cooperation with Turkey and other countries is based on this principle, he said.

As regards the arrest of Saddam Hussein, President Bashar al-Assad said such an affair belongs to the Iraqis and has nothing to do with Syria.

Concerning the U.S. Syria Accountability Act, al-Assad said Syria is always open for dialogue and she is still conducting dialogue with Washington.

Regarding what was reported by the media about Syria handing 22 suspects to Turkey, the president indicated that the Syrian-Turkish relations are improving by an initiative from Turkey and Syria, and there is a genuine desire to develop relations between the two neighborly countries.

President al-Assad indicated that Greece too is neighbouring Turkey, and neighbors cannot live for decades locking swords on trivial or important things. The president pointed out that the handing of suspects is a technical matter in the framework of cooperation between the specialized apparatus of the two countries in line with technical agreements. He added that this principle was first called by Syria for the first time in Athens in 1986 for combating terrorism.

He underlined that Syria, as a principle, is cooperative not only with the neighbours in combating terrorism, but with other countries, because Syria is against terrorism and because it falls in Syria's interests.

He pointed out that terrorism is unlimited and there should be an international cooperation in fighting terrorism, and that is what Syria has always called for.

Regarding another question on Saddam's capture and the enforcement of Syria's Accountability Act, the president pointed out that the arrest of Saddam is an Iraqi issue that doesn't concern Syria, as for the Syria Accountability Act, the act is legislated by the US. Congress to the United States, and therefore Syria doesn't accept it, but there is an on going dialogue between the two sides in all directions.

In reply to a question directed to the Greek Prime Minister, regarding Syria's call to make the Middle East free of mass destruction weapons, and whether Greece will support it when it will become a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Simites underlined that Greece has found the idea "a good one" because there should be a framework to be implemented, so no one can allege that such a country possesses mass destruction weapons, and this country can prove in line with certain procedures that it doesn't own such weapons.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian- Greek foreign ministers meet on bilateral relations   (12/17/2003)
  Syrian- Greek parliamentary relations   (12/17/2003)
  Al-Assad signs the Olympic Truce   (12/17/2003)

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