Syrian president to attend UN summit for first time
The Syrian ambassador to the UN Faisal Miqdad announced that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad intends to attend the UN summit next month. This is, however, the first time in which a Syrian President attends a UN event in New York.
Miqdad said that al-Assad's presence at this summit is considered part of the new policy pursued by Damascus in dealing with international affairs and contacting world leaders, stressing the readiness of the Syrian president to hold talks with American officials as being the only way to solve the problem between the two countries.
It is expected that more than 170 world leaders will attend this summit in order to discuss approving new methods for development, security and human rights and running the United Nations in the 21st century.
Like Iran, Syria has been facing criticism from the administration of the US President George W. Bush because of the US allegation that Damascus is not making enough efforts to prevent the flow of gunmen, weapons and finance to Iraqi insurgents.
The US is considered among the two main forces behind the UN resolution that was adopted against Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.
Last week, Miqdad denied the American accusations saying that his country deployed some 10,000 soldiers and established more than 300 observatory towers along its border with Iraq. He added that London and Washington ignored a Syrian request for aids that included needed items such a night goggles to monitor the borders.
