EU parliamentarians stress the Arab identity of Jerusalem

Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly Abdul Qader Qaddoura met on Sunday in Damascus with a European parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee in the European Union Parliament Hannes Swoboda.

The Syrian parliament speaker noted the key role played by Europe in giving the Middle East peace process a push forward. He stressed that Syria welcomes and supports such a European role, due to the common elements linking Europe to the region.

Qaddoura, in this respect, highlighted the recent decision adopted by the EU concerning Jerusalem in not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over any part of the city.

Swoboda voiced the support of the European Parliament for the Syrian position toward the Middle East peace process, a position based on honoring UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference and the land-for-peace formula.

He added that, "Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights is a main factor in solving the Middle East problem."

The European Parliament official added that the decision taken by the EU concerning Jerusalem is a total embodiment of the EU views, which always stand against the establishment of settlements and what has been carried out by the current Israeli government.