Clinton meets with al-Sharaa, reiterates US commitment to peace process
Syria-USA, Politics, 9/30/1999

US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday received Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa in his office at the White House.

Talks dealt with the development of conditions in the Middle East, especially the peace process on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in light of the US efforts to find a formula to resume talks from the point at which they broke off.

In this respect, the US president reiterated the US commitment to help all sides concerned achieve a just and comprehensive peace on all tracks, especially on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

The White House said that the meeting at the White House between President Clinton and al-Sharaa is considered to be a completion of the efforts made by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last week to give a new impetus to the stumbled peace talks on the Syrian-Israeli track.

Commenting on the meeting held between President Clinton and al-Sharaa the spokesman for the US National Security Council, Mike Hammer, said that the US president is ready to involve himself in the peace efforts and to help in enduring the incentive for resuming talks on the Syrian-Israeli tracks.

He added, "Making people talk directly to each other will be the first very important step."

Hammer added that President Clinton believes there is a genuine opportunity to have a move on the Syrian track and that it would be regrettable to lose the chance of reviving the Middle East peace process forward.

The spokesman for the US National Security Council added, "We are working actively with each of Syria and Israel to find a way to make them resume discussions. Of course we would have not held this meeting unless we are sure that there is a chance for reaching success."

Hammer said President Clinton discussed with al-Sharaa the situation on the Syrian track and best means of pushing forward the Middle East peace process.

In a statement quoted both by Reuters and AFP at the conclusion of the one-hour meeting between Clinton and al-Sharaa, Hammer said the resumption of talks on the Syrian track requires more work, but he said that there is now still a chance to attain progress.

Hammer said the meeting between Clinton and al-Sharaa came at the request of the US administration, and he abstained from revealing the mainlines of the meeting or whether President Clinton had made proposals in an attempt to launch the talks suspended since 1996.

Previous Stories:
  Negotiations on the Syrian-Israeli track to resume next month, Albright says   (9/29/1999)
  Israel refuses Syrian demand to declare readiness to withdraw from the Golan   (9/28/1999)
  Report: No stability without Golan return, Albright says   (9/27/1999)

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