Al-Assad meets with Iraqi Foreign Minister
Iraq-Syria, Politics, 2/22/1999

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad met on Sunday at Damascus' al-Chaab palace with Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf and the two undersecretaries of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, Riyadh al-Qayse and Nabil Nejm.

The Iraqi minister conveyed a message to President al-Assad from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Talks dealt with conditions that Iraq suffers from and the disputes between the Iraqi government and the UN on the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. Talks also dealt with the question of the Arab follow-up committee in charge of working for lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Later in the day, al-Sahaf left Damascus following a three-day official visit to Syria.

In a pre-departure statement to SANA, al-Sahaf said "I had the honor to meet President Hafez al-Assad and to convey to him a verbal message from President Saddam Hussein on bilateral relations, on the Arab conditions, on Iraq's view of how to improve this condition and on creating positive atmospheres conducive to consolidating Arab solidarity and to ensuring mutual interests among Arab brethren without any discrimination on the basis of common confidence," SANA reported.

The Iraqi FM described his Damascus visit as useful and constituted a good and practical chance to exchange viewpoints liberally on very important Arab issues of interest to both Syria and Iraq. "We discussed with Syrian officials the joint Arab action forward within the framework of the Arab League," he added.

Replying to a question on the Arab follow-up committee, al-Safah said that views were exchanged with Syrian officials, and that both states will continue to exchange views because the issue is Iraq's main concern.

The Iraqi minister commented: "What is important for us is that Iraq is supported in restoring its rights at the Security Council after Baghdad fulfilled its obligations, as termed in the UN Security Council's resolutions."

The Iraqi minister also said that Arab effort in this regard is important: "We hope that the Arabs should adopt Iraq's stand, and Syria calls for lifting the embargo imposed on Iraq in line with the UN Security Council's resolutions and for the necessity of implementing those resolutions. I explained that Iraq has fulfilled its obligations."

On Saturday, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa received the Iraqi foreign minister. Viewpoints were exchanged on the results of the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers recently held in Cairo and the relations between Iraq and the UN.

Al-Sahaf said that talks with the Syrian FM dealt with exchanging viewpoints and discussions of several issues in the Arab arena and other matters pertaining to the relations between Iraq and the UN Security Council.

Al-Sahaf added: "During the meeting I reviewed Iraq's policy on the need to eliminate reasons that create disputes between the Arab states. We believe that when Arab states start to talk to each other we can see the first step towards restoring solidarity, gradually and realistically."

The Iraqi FM continued that talks with the Syrian side also dealt with the role played by the Arab League and means of reactivating this role and Iraq's stand concerning the recent meeting of Arab foreign ministers meeting.

Late Sunday afternoon al-Sahaf left Damascus heading for Beirut.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Sahaf explains Iraq's stand towards recent Arab FM s conference   (2/20/1999)
  Iraqi FM in Damascus for talks with al-Sharaa   (2/20/1999)
  Beirut refuses Washington's demand not to receive Iraq's foreign minister   (2/20/1999)

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