Syria, the US to resume bilateral dialogue on terrorism, ME peace in September, in Damascus

Syrian and American sides have agreed to resume bilateral dialogue on terrorism, the Middle East peace process and bilateral relations in the economic and cultural fields and public relations in Damascus in September.

According to the London- based al-Hayat daily in its Wednesday's issue the two sides' agreement to continue their dialogue came in conclusion of the first session which was held at Rice University in Houston on May 20 through 23 with the participation of officials, diplomats, economics and academics.

The paper said that the US former secretary of state James Baker and the ME peace process envoy William Burns stressed during the inauguration of the meeting the impossibility of achieving peace in the Middle East only according to the terms of reference of the two UN resolutions 242 and 338 and the land for peace formula and that Burns indicated Syria's strategic decision to join peace negotiations with Israel in 1991. Burns said that without Syria's consent the Madrid peace conference would not have been held, in remarks that consultations should be made with Syria in any new formula for the international conference in this phase.

Al-Hayat continued that after President Bashar al-Assad approved to convene the dialogue during his meeting with former US ambassador to Syria Edward Djerjian in January this year, he chose the Syrian delegation under the chairman of the deputy foreign minister Walid al-Mu'allim and the membership of Butheina Shabaan, the lecturer at Damascus university, the Syrian expert in the international law and terrorism Dr. Muhammad Aziz Shukri, the Syrian ambassador in Washington Rostoum al-Zou'bi, the Syrian businessman Bassan al-Farawi, the chairman of the Homs chamber of commerce Tarif al-Akhras and the rector of the Syrian informatics society Imad Mustafa and many others.