Syrian FM confers with EU Middle East peace envoy

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on Monday received the European Union Middle East peace process envoy Angel Moratinos.

Talks dealt with the impasse the Middle East peace process has reached on all tracks. Moratinos stressed the need to restore the whole Syrian Golan Heights to Syria so as to achieve comprehensive peace in the region.

Today, Moratinos will start a two-day official visit to Lebanon. He will hold talks with Lebanese President Elias Hrawi on Middle East peace process developments, recent developments, foremost being the Syrian president's visit to France and the talks he held with President Jacques Chirac and Premier Lionel Jospin.

In Paris, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said he will discuss today with his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine converting the idea of the French - Egyptian conference to salvage the Middle East peace into an initiative. Moussa told reporters on Monday night following his talks with Vedrine at the headquarters of the French Foreign Ministry that the two ministers had agreed upon several topics and points pertaining to the initiative.

He added that Vedrine will propose these points to President Chirac and Moussa for his part will do the same with president Mubarak. The two ministers will meet again to agree on certain details pertaining to this issue.

Moussa stressed that the Middle East peace process is in a grave condition as Israel has not changed its position.

Vedrine, on the other hand, said he had discussed with his Egyptian counterpart a spectrum of issues, foremost the grave state of Middle East peace. In earlier statements, Moussa said that French - Egyptian initiative was discussed during talks held between President Hafez al-Assad and President Mubarak in Alexandria on Sunday.