Syrian impressions on Albright's visit

The Monte Carlo radio correspondent in Damascus said official sources in the Syrian capital have asserted that Syrian impressions of Saturday's visit from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Damascus do not imply anything new that would enable the resumption of negotiations on the Syrian track.

The correspondent said the Syrian sources indicated that Albright did not get a commitment from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as stated in the documents deposited with the US administration by former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, which provide for an Israeli withdrawal to the June, 4. 1967 border line.

The correspondent added that despite that fact the detente was not obvious on the face of Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, the FM "was careful not to foil the US efforts through keeping the door open before them, in his remarks that Syria will wait for the good news which Albright did not carry with her on this visit."

The correspondent indicated that despite the assertion made by Albright on Saturday that the most important principle which is provided for the land-for-peace formula, she did not assure frankly her country's total partnership on the Syrian track. He added that this is at a time when Damascus looks with an eye of concern to the US not pressuring Israel to implement the agreements signed on the Palestinian tracks, despite Damascus' reservations over these agreements.