Azmi Bishara's visit to Damascus
Syria, Politics, 12/16/1999

An Arab parliamentarian from the Israeli Knesset, Azmi Bishara, has asserted that Syrian negotiators led by Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa carry with them a decision from the Syrian leadership to provide success for the negotiations with Israel, describing feelings in circles of the Syrian leadership as "cautious optimism."

In a statement to the Lebanese paper al-Mustaqbil, Bishara stated that he had felt from the talks he held with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa several days ago in Damascus that the Syrians are confident of themselves, in clinging to their national principles regarding the restoration of the Golan to the June 4, 1967 border lines and maintaining balance and equality concerning security arrangements to be reached during the negotiation sessions, adding that he also felt in the Syrians happiness at reaching an agreement to resume the negotiations.

Bishara continued that in the Syrian officials he met fears and doubts that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his negotiating team will get into details instead of committing to basic principles pertaining to the peace and equal measures concerning security measures, resorting to deception and abstaining from pushing the negotiations towards withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 border line.

Bishara said that Syrian President Hafez al-Assad is not ready to receive Barak before achieving an agreement providing for restoring back the Golan. He continued that the "Syrians are not ready to open an Israeli embassy in their country while parts of Syria is under occupation," adding that opening an Israeli embassy will become possible for the Syrians after the restoration of the Golan and demolition of the settlements.

Bishara also quoted the Syrian officials as saying that the Syrian leadership does not rule out the occurrence of crises in the negotiations and the possibility of Israel resorting to provocation and pressures. But he also indicated that the Syrians have confidence in their solid stances, their regional position, Arab backing, the weight of south Lebanon and international legitimacy resolutions and, above all, Israel's recognition of the fact that there is no peace without Syria.

Bishara concluded that the Syrian leadership has considerations to the effective US obligations in making progress in the negotiations towards peace.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Sharaa confers with al-Sahaf, Beshara and contacts Berri, al-Hoss, Lord Levy and Moratinos   (12/10/1999)
  Masalha as deputy FM in Israel have no change on foreign policy   (8/7/1999)
  Bishara confers with Arafat   (8/7/1999)

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