Steinmeier plans to invite Syrian FM: official
Syria-Germany, Politics, 1/15/2008

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier plans to invite his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem to Berlin, a German official said yesterday.

Talking to journalists, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Jaeger said, "There are plans for a visit by the Syrian foreign minister and you will be informed at the appropriate time whether and under what conditions such a meeting will take place." "If a meeting does take place, the issues are obvious: you know that we have always stressed the importance of the role of the regional powers within the context of the Middle East peace process and that Syria as well as other countries play a key role in that."

Jaeger pointed out that the US had invited a Syrian delegation to take part in an international meeting in Annapolis, Maryland in November in a bid to press ahead with the peace process.

The planned meeting between Steinmeier and Muallem are also expected to focus on Lebanon, Jaeger said. Steinmeier visited Syria in December 2006 when he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The German foreign minister had in August 2006 called off a visit to Damascus only hours prior to his planned arrival after al-Assad branded Israel as "an enemy" and stressed it was an honor for Syria to support Lebanon's Islamic resistance Huzbollah which had stood against Israeli invasion of Lebanon in July 2006.

Previous Stories:
  German officials and intellectuals want convergence with Syria   (12/18/2004)
  Syria's New Ambassador to Germany   (11/17/2004)
  Syrian- German economic consultations days   (7/21/2004)

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