Dutch and German flexibility, the complex is with Britain, Partnership with Syria to be discussed on May 17
Syria-European Union, Politics, 5/6/2004

The issue of Syria's joining the list of countries which signed the Association Agreement AA with the European Union came back to the front of Inter- European discussions during the meeting of the foreign ministers council to be held on May 17 in Brussels.

European sources in Damascus said that the Syrians are confident that this issue will be on the agenda of the foreign ministers who do not have a common agenda on how to settle the crisis pending between the European Union and Syria.

However, three countries had obstructed in the last moment Syria's signing together with the EU the signing of an Association Agreement that took years of negotiations, as the EU member states requested Syria to adopt a tough phrase concerning the weapons of Mass destruction.

According to Syrian sources, Damascus felt a Dutch flexibility from that country which stood with Britain and Germany in the persistence to Syria's adoption of the new condition. Despite the fact this will not make a change in the current scene, but Germany, unofficially, loomed the possibility of changing its position.

However, the main obstacle remains in " the office of the British prime minister Tony Blair " who clings to this phrase for two reasons, according to the European sources: " the first that his elections programs are against the Weapons of Mass Destruction and the second is the relation with Washington which support toughness in this file."

The first item approved by Syria and other states signatory to the AA called for a sort of tolerance in the issue of owning the weapons of mass destruction, while the new article comes to frankly demand not to own these weapons. A matter which is rejected strongly by Damascus for several reasons especially among them " the double standards in dealing with each of Syria and Israel," the " national sentiments linked to the ownership of a deterring weapons in the face of an unrivaled enemy," in addition to one factor of no less importance relating to the feeling of " being deceived " from this clause whose fire only targeted Damascus. A feeling which is not only limited to the Syrians, but also the representatives of the European Commission who were surprised by the opposition issued by three countries after completing the negotiations with the Syrians and signing all items of the agreement.

One European observer considers that Syria has to think now of the economic price for the delay, especially after the rejection of certain European countries to let Syria get a " bigger economic aid " in the Agreement over giving concessions in this respect, especially that the failure of the European foreign ministers will means that the subject will be put in the hands of the meeting of the heads of the EU member states to which other 10 countries had joined on May 1st, most of these new acceded countries are part of London and Washington's inclination towards Syria.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Shara welcomes EU enlargement   (5/3/2004)
  Syrian- EU Association Agreement expected to be finalized soon   (4/23/2004)
  Al-Assad talks with EU representatives over Association Agreement   (4/9/2004)

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