Putin calls to back Syria and president Al-Assad's stances
Regional-Russia, Politics, 4/28/2005

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday to "boost Syria's position as well President Bashar al-Assad who kept his promises to withdraw the Syrian Arab forces working in Lebanon back to Syria."

In a special session held by the Arab League Council at the level of permanent representatives, the Russian president underlined "the need of a strong backing to efforts aimed at achieving the just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East." He clarified that this should be "on all tracks among which are the Syrian and Lebanese tracks," and warned that without these two tracks, it would be impossible to achieve this peace.

Putin also noted his country's interest to find a settlement for the situation in Iraq in a way that the Iraqi people can overcome the circumstances and conditions that it is currently facing. He hoped the Iraqi people would go back to normal life through national reconciliation and solving the issue of foreign forces withdrawal from Iraq.

He expressed Russia's determination to develop ties with the Arab states now and in the future, and noted that talks he held today in Cairo had stressed not to allow the new world division by virtue of ideologies that had been prevailing before or in accordance with civilizations and religions.

Putin rejected any bid to impose reform on any country or region in pursuance of a foreign model underlining the necessity that reform would develop internally.

The final joint statement of the Russian and Egyptian talks today in Cairo expressed the two sides conviction "to resume talks on the Syria and Lebanese tracks in the nearest future and with no conditions." The communique said this should be in a way that contributes to making progress towards a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict including the end of the Israeli occupation to all the Arab territories.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Ahram: Putin: No peace in Mideast without Syria and Lebanon   (4/26/2005)
  Lavrov and the terrorism phenomenon   (2/11/2005)
  Lavrov stresses necessity of resuming peace process in ME   (2/10/2005)

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