Al-Assad in Paris: Peace is Syria's strategic choice
Syria-France, Politics, 7/17/1998

French President Jacques Chirac held a formal dinner banquet in the Elysee Palace on Thursday evening in honor of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad who arrived in Paris earlier in the day to begin a three day visit to France.

Addressing President Chirac is his formal speech, President Assad said, "Mr. President under your leadership, the policy of France is clear-cut at the international level. In the past, you were be able to have great effectiveness on the international policy, thereby consolidating France's position in the international arena."

He added: "If we could during this visit make our efforts reflect positively on the relations between the Arab homeland and Europe, we would contribute to achieving one of the great goals of the two regions who believe in the importance of cooperation and its benefit between the Arab homeland and Europe."

The Syrian President expressed his belief that despite the changes the international community is undergoing, the principles and the general values in which humanity believes are firm. He said that the Middle East peace process which started at the Madrid conference reflecting the international community's desire to establish a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and the land for peace formula has reached a deadlock due to the Israeli intransigent policy. He continued that Syria has so far cared for realizing a just and comprehensive peace in the region. As a confirmation of the Syrian care, he said, Syria supported the holding of the Madrid conference, and due to the standing relations between the Middle East and Europe and the multi-sided common interests, conflict in one region affects the security of the other region.

Assad said this confirms the importance of the European role in finding a just solution to the conflict, as well as the central role France can play. After the current Israeli government took power, the peace process faced a new situation that returned the peace process to the zero-point as the Israeli government rejected the peace process, the land for peace principle, and changed it into "security for Israel," ignoring the security of other states in the region and their legitimate rights, Assad said.

He added that the Israeli government insists on a peace that ignores the reasons for the conflict, a peace that gives it the land and security. It rejects withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and south Lebanon according to the UN Security Council resolution 425 and its attempts to avoid implementing the commitments the former Israeli government agreed upon. So it pursues a policy which only leads to torpedoing the peace process.

Under this policy the Israeli government continues its settlement policy, Judaizing Jerusalem, demolishing houses, practicing violence against civilians and displacing them from their lands, not to mention continuing aggressions against Lebanon and killing civilians, Assad said. He continuned these practices run counter to human rights, the international rules and the international community's norms that affirm equality, justice and freedom.

"Just and comprehensive peace is our goal and strategic choice for which we work to achieve. Just and comprehensive peace is in our interest and in the interest of the region, the matter which requires that all the world states in the east and west to exert their efforts to make the just and comprehensive peace succeed and to achieve it," President Assad said. Within the framework of international efforts being exerted to achieve the peace, "I do not see any contradiction between the European role and the efforts exerted by the US so long as all realize the importance of peace and push it forward for the benefit of the people in the region and the world as well."

President al-Assad added that the success of the peace process will positively reflect on the peoples in the region and the world too: "Peace will ensure for all big capabilities that double the efforts of development and spare a large quantity of human victims and calamities. We will always be with peace in its real meaning and we hope that all will head towards this human noble goal."

In his statement, Chirac said that the road to peace in the Middle East has been a long path paved by men of vision and sacrifice. The path witnessed great moments of humanity and hope, and underwent other moments of suspicion and intransigence. Despite all the progress and commitment from one side or another, as well as the need for achieving progress the process is almost at a deadlock, he said.

He said this peace's foundations have been set up by international right and the land for peace principle that exists in the very core of resolutions nos. 242 and 338. It is also the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 425 pertaining to Lebanon. The land for peace formula is the origin of the peace process and the one on which France essentially founded its position. It is the land for peace with the return of the Golan. It is peace for land along with constant Israeli redeployment and the transfer of power in the Palestinian lands in compliance with signed accords. There should be peace in Lebanon too, as Lebanon is dear to France. Presidnet Chirac said he hoped for Lebanon to be united, liberated and sovereign.

"We back national reconciliation, reconstruction, democracy and liberty." We want peace," President Chirac said, "but not any peace and for any price; we want that peace which guarantees every one's right and existence, we want it to survive."

He concluded, "Our cooperation is represented today in the large volume of economic exchange, and we have taken big steps on this road since my last visit to Syria, two years ago. And the settlement of the pending financial disputes led to the revival of our relationship. The financial agreement signed by our foreign minister will give the green light to the launching of big development projects."

Assad also noted during an interview before his visit that economic links between the two states are of high importance, saying, "Accompanying us in our trip to France will be a large number of businessmen who will work for the promotion of economic and commercial relations."

Previous Stories:
  Syrian President: Lebanon is a state, discusses critical issues   (7/16/1998)
  Chirac discusses with Assad Middle East peace, preparations for visit   (7/9/1998)
  Syrian President meets with Pakistani minister, US congressman   (7/6/1998)

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