Syria insists on peaceful solution to Iraqi crisis

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa confirmed his country's adherence to finding a diplomatic solution and refusing a military solution to the Iraqi crisis with the United Nations.

Sharaa met with his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Said al-Sahaf, before Sahaf left Syria for Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the secretary-general of the Arab League, Esmat Abdel Meguid.

Sharaa said he met with Sahaf and listened to Iraq's position toward the crisis with the UN, restating that Damascus' position is well known. Syria strongly supports Iraqi integrity, and Syria is against the escalation of the situation or any military action targeting Iraq, Sharaa said.

Asked whether there are any initiatives underway to hold an Arab summit, al-Sharaa said it is too early to talk about an Arab summit and Arab solidarity. About holding a mini summit al-Sharaa' said: "We back inter-Arab action and we will certainly be the first in such an action."

Al-Sahaf said in reply to a question about the current Arab stand towards Iraq's crisis with the US, "We have noticed a positive development in the Arab stance without exceptions. This development satisfies Iraq because it seeks a political solution to the current crisis."

"We presented to Russia, France, the UN and the Arab League serious and practical ideas concerning the Iraqi crisis, and now I present to the Syrian leadership the same ideas and details we have already presented to other parties," Sahaf said.