Syrian-Egyptian summit held in Damascus
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday made a one-day official visit to Syria during which he and his companions held two meetings with their Syrian counterparts.
One meeting was a closed-door held between the two presidents at the Damascus al-Chaab Presidential Palace. Talks dealt with "recent developments in light of statements of escalation and unfounded declarations recently released by the Turkish side."
President Mubarak was accompanied by an official delegation comprised of Information Minister Safwat al-Sharif, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, Chairman of the president's office Zakaraya Azmi and President Mubarak's advisor for political affairs, Osama el-Baz.
In pre-departure statements to reporters, Moussa said that President Mubarak's talks with President al-Assad concentrated on one issue: "the standing problem between Syria and Turkey." He added that President al-Assad briefed President Mubarak on the Syrian position, as well as on the Syrian statement issued Sunday evening.
Moussa added: " President Mubarak referred to the importance of dialogue between the two neighboring states to deal with different issues," adding that President Mubarak pointed out that any two neighboring states may face such problems that should be resolved through holding discussions and contact, but not through military force or threats.
Moussa stated that Syria and Egypt "agreed on pushing the issues for holding constructive dialogue taking into consideration the benefits of the two neighboring countries."
For his part, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said that Egyptian and Syrian viewpoints agree regarding the danger of the situation and the need to deal with it through diplomatic dialogue and not through confrontation and threats. "There is a rejection of all these threats and the Arab stand is solidarity with Syria and all the Arabs want to solve the standing problems between Turkey and Syria through cordial dialogue." al-Sharaa said.
He also expressed wonder over the statements issued recently by Turkish military and senior political officials in regard to Turkish accusations that Syria supports and shelters the Kurdistani Workers Party because he said there is no basis for this type of escalation.
The Syrian FM expressed hope that President Mubarak's efforts in Turkey may achieve positive results. As for Syria's constant calls and its readiness to adopt dialogue with Turkey, al-Sharaa highlighted Syria's firm position in the past and present, adding, "Turkey could not force us to make provocative statements because Syria is concerned about good neighborly relations."
Al-Sharaa, moreover, expressed the Arabs' anxiety over the Turkish position, adding, "It is a strange case when the Turkish officials made such escalated statements."
Meanwhile, the Arab League's general trusteeship issued a statement in Cairo, calling Turkey and Syria to use self-control to ease the tension between the two countries.
The statement praised President Mubarak's mediation efforts between the two sides as head of the current Arab summit and his good endeavors to contain the crisis.
The AL asserted in its statement that bilateral relations have to be maintained between Turkey and Syria for the mutual interests of both countries.