Syria warns against peace absence effect on Barcelona process
Syria-European Union, Politics, 6/1/2005

Syria warned on Tuesday against the negative effect of the absence of peace in the Middle East on the Barcelona process of partnership between the Mediterranean countries and Europe.

"The continuity of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the absence of peace due to the occupation of Arab lands in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine are laying heavy shadows and creating negative effect on the process to hinder its progress as to achieve its goals," Syria's Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa said in a word to the Euro-Med foreign ministers meetings in Luxemburg today.

Sharaa called to renew determination and joint efforts to push the resumption of peace negotiations as to achieve "the just and comprehensive peace that is based on the international legitimacy resolutions and the two UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 as well the land for peace formula, Madrid reference and the Arab peace initiative."

The minister said "Syria has expressed in words and deeds adherence to the UN Security Council resolutions," noting that she is looking forward to the international community and the European partners to show support and firm determination towards the just and comprehensive peace. He noted that should come in a way that leads to Israel's full withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories in 1967 including the Syrian Golan and Shabaa farms as well the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Sharaa noted that security and stability consolidation in the region would require freeing the Middle East from all nuclear, biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.

He underlined the "must of international cooperation to combat all forms of terror in framework of international cooperation rules," stressing that the correct dealings with this phenomenon requires discussion of its genuine reasons and differentiating between terror and the peoples under foreign occupation right to resist it.

Sharaa also talked about the interior situation in Syria in which he emphasized Syria's "permanence in the process of development and modernization" led by President Bashar al-Assad and making reforms that "emerge from our people needs and aspirations in a way that takes our peculiarities into consideration."

The final statement of the 7th Conference of the ministerial Euro-Med Association made estimations to the ministers' two-day meetings, reviewing Barcelona Process for the Euro-Med partnership and its positive developments.

It stressed the importance of reviving peace process on the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese tracks in order to achieve the just and comprehensive peace in the region based on UN relevant resolutions and the land-for-peace formula.

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