Damascus Declaration FM s concludes deliberations
Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara and members of the accompanying delegation arrived in Damascus on Thursday night after presiding over the Syrian side to the 16th session of the foreign ministers of the Damascus Declaration states which concluded its meetings in Doha, Thursday night.
In a final statement, the foreign ministers praised Syrian President's position and his commitment to dialogue with Turkey as a basis to find out a peaceful solution to problems pending between the two countries. The foreign ministers welcomed the agreement reached between Syria and Turkey to contain their crisis. They expressed satisfaction "over maintaining dialogue between the two countries on the principles of good neighborly relations."
The ministers expressed concern over the "military and security cooperation between Turkey and Israel in threatening the security of the Arab states and stability in the Middle east region." Concerning the Middle East peace process, the ministers stressed complete care to commit and work for the content of the final statement of the recent Cairo Arab Summit conference of 1996. They reiterated their countries's stances in that "Just and comprehensive peace requires the restoration of all occupied Arab territories according to relevant UN resolutions providing for Israel's total withdrawal from the occupied Golan heights until June 4, 1967 border line, from South Lebanon and its Western Bekaa and from the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem."
The ministers demanded the US to follow up its efforts to pressure Israel to resume negotiations on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks from the point they broke off as well as to abide itself by implementing agreements reached between the Israelis and the Palestinians as well as to obstinate from violating set obligations and commitment. The ministers stressed categorical rejection as well as condemnation of the expansionist settlement policy practiced by Israel in the occupied territories. They called for halting all Israeli settlement policies in the occupied Golan Heights, the occupied Palestinian territories especially in Jerusalem and for "dismantling these settlements."
The ministers expressed deep concern over the attempts made by Israel to impose its conditions for implementing UN security Council resolution 425 provides for Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon and its Western Bekaa. The ministers also voiced rejection for any explanations that would impose any conditions to implement the said resolution and called for " Israel's implementation of the said resolution and its withdrawal from South Lebanon."
The Ministers reiterated their call on the Middle East peace process cosponsors, especially the US as well as on the European Union to carry out a more effective role in order to "salvage the Middle East peace and reset it into its right track, according to Madrid terms of reference and the international legitimacy resolutions. The statement of the Damascus Declaration foreign ministers added "the ministers recalling what had been decided at the special Arab summit held in Cairo in 1996 and the council of the Arab League on the Middle East peace process deadlock and Israel's violation of its commitments agreed upon in the context of the Madrid conference as well as Israel's refusal to resume negotiations on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks from the point they stopped as they stressed their stand towards the "Israeli intransigent policy," especially their stand to "freeze multilateral economic and social conferences until a tangible progress on all peace tracks is achieved."
The ministers of the Damascus Declaration states underlined the importance of freeing the Middle East, including the "Gulf region" from the mass annihilation weapons, foremost being the nuclear weapons. They called for Israel's joining of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to accept "the guarantees systems" under the supervision of the international agency for atomic energy."
The ministers called upon Iraq to give up its decision in halting relations with UNSCOM and logic and reason to be adopted so as the UN would reach a diplomatic solution for the crisis. The ministers expressed "sympathy with the sufferings of the people of Iraq." They stressed their countries' s firm stand providing for preserving "Iraq's independence and its territorial integrity and sovereignty."
The ministers stressed total support for all measures and peaceful means adopted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to restore sovereignty over "its three islands of Tanb, the great Tanb the small and Abu Mousa." They called to settle this dispute peacefully in line with the positive attitudes of Iran to "build confidence, develop cooperation and preserving security and stability in the region."
The ministers underlined the need of finding out a solution for Lockerbie crisis so as to lift the embargo imposed on the "brotherly people of Libya." The ministers indicated the importance of cooperation among the Damascus Declaration member states to face extremism, violence and terrorism." They stressed the need to distinguish between "terrorism operations and the legitimate national resistance against occupation and aggression." Within this context the ministers voiced support for the Syrian initiative submitted to the UN General Assembly in 1986 in "convening an international conference to identify terrorism."
The statement continued that the ministers resumed their consultations, complete the joint Arab work document and the protocol of exchanged obligations among the Arab states in the course of the Arab League. These obligations will be submitted to the governments to be approved. The statement indicated that the ministers were acquainted with minutes of meeting of the experts committee of the Damascus Declaration held in Cairo in 1997 and called upon the "experts committee" to continue its meetings in order to discuss these steps and then to submit its first report to the foreign ministers of the Damascus Declaration.
The ministers decided to convene the session of their forth coming meeting in Cairo. The Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa welcomed the decision. He said the "meetings will be held in the mid of next year, 1999."
On the other hand, Syria's foreign minister met at his residence in Doha on Thursday with his Egyptian counterpart Amr Moussa in the context of meetings of the Damascus declaration foreign ministers. Item listed on the meeting's agenda were reviewed by the two ministers.