Al-Hayat: Second round of Syrian- American contacts

The London- based al-Hayat daily reported yesterday that there are ongoing Syrian- American contacts to arrange for the second session of political dialogue in the first week of January, 2003.

The paper added in a report that the American delegation is expected to include former US secretary of state James Baker, Senator Arlen Specter, former US ambassador in Damascus Edward Djerjian, and also former US ambassador in Damascus Christopher Ross. The Syrian delegation, however will include, according to al-Hayat, the deputy foreign minister Walid al-Mu'allim, head of media department at the foreign ministry Butheina Shaaban and renowned Syrian law professor Muhammad Aziz Shukri.

The said dialogue aims at bringing view points together between the two sides and searching in common indicators concerning issue on terrorism, Iraq and the Palestinian question..