Al-Hawadeth: Syria welcomes efforts for ME peace process revival, highlights developments
Syria-Regional, Politics, 2/7/2004

Syria's Minister of Information, Ahmad al-Hassan, stressed that Syria has welcomes any honest effort that aims at activating the peace process to achieve just and comprehensive peace in region.

In an interview to Lebanese magazine al-Hawadeth published Friday, al-Hasan asserted Syria's readiness for serious negotiations to be as a means for achieving just peace, pointing out to the efforts rendered in the past and were crowned by positive outcome that resolved about 85% of peace factors on the Syrian track such as the formation of a committee for drawing the borders and putting balanced security arrangements at Shepherdstown --USA negotiations.

The Minister underlined that Sharon's government is required to stop its aggression and settlements, and to respond to all honest efforts leading to the achievement of peace and the resumption of peace negotiation on the Syrian track from the point where they were left off.

He pointed out that the ball now is in the Israeli court, because the Israeli governments have rejected the bases and principles of the real peace which requires complete Israeli withdrawal from the Arab lands to the line of June 4th 1967.

"We welcome the Turkish efforts if they seek to resume the peace process on the Syrian track," he added.

Al-Hasan also asserted that the peace process has deteriorated since 3 years when Sharon assumed authority, stressing that Sharon was not a real partner in the peace process nor he has any political prospect or program to push this process forward.

He said that Syria was the first to call for freeing the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction since 1986, pointing out to the Syrian draft resolution proposed to the UN Security Council regarding this issue which confirms Syria's commitment to free the region as a whole from those weapons.

Regarding the situation in Iraq, al-Hasan underlined Syria's rejection to war on Iraq from the beginning, since Syria knows the Arab and the regional situation and is aware of the bad repercussions of such a war. "We don't support any kind of occupation be it Israeli or American, so it is normal to call for a quick American withdrawal from Iraq" he added, asserting that the Iraqi people are able to draw their future and to ensure their territorial integrity.

The minister indicated that holding national elections to form a legitimate Iraqi government has become an Iraqi and regional necessity, rejecting all allegations that deny such a necessity.

He added that there is no relation between the elections and the period of the occupation's presence, pointing out that there is still time for the UN to play a role regarding the arrangement of elections in Iraq.

Concerning the forthcoming Arab summit, al-Hasan stressed Syria's care for the Arab unified stance and "rising up the pan-Arab responsibility for facing all challenges and dangers threatening our Arab nation."

Answering a question on the American personal releases and statements regarding Syria, al-Hasan underlined that Syria deals with them only as personal statements that don't express American official stances.

"We in Syria support dialogue, cooperation and opening a new horizon for the bilateral relations which should be developed on the bases of mutual respect, trust, positive dialogue, and non interference in the internal affairs but the problem lies in the United States policy which has been drawn in the Middle East on the base of complete bias toward Israel" he said.

He asserted that Syria welcomes an American objective partner, and the United States knows Syria's role in holding Madrid Conference and in the American important participation in the peace negotiations.

Regarding the American allegations on the transfer of the Iraqi weapons to Syria, Hasan pointed out to US Secretary of State, Colin Powell and David Kay's statements there is no proof that the Iraqi weapons were transferred to Syria and there is no reason for the Syrians to do so.

Previous Stories:
  Israel: 59% support the resumption of negotiations with Syria   (2/6/2004)
  Israeli soldiers killed during maneuvers in the Golan   (2/4/2004)
  Syria's Information Minister highlights developments in ME   (1/30/2004)
  Al-Shara holds ME talks with AL chief   (1/28/2004)
  20 role of youths in deepening contacts underlined   (1/19/2004)

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