Clinton to open peace talks next week in Washington
Most countries have welcomed the announcement of US President Bill Clinton of a resumption of peace talks next week on the Syrian track from the point where they broke off and expressed readiness to provide all possible help to boost the peace process and achieve peace in the region.
In Washington, a spokesman for the White House, Michael Hammer, said that peace talks on the Syrian track which were announced by Clinton are to be resumed in Washington or in a place close to it in the middle of next week.
AFP said that Hammer stated on Wednesday that President Clinton will launch these talks and meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa and with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in order to prepare and define the agenda of these talks.
For his part, Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid welcomed the resumption of the peace talks on the Syrian-Israeli track and described this step as "important."
In a statement he made in Cairo on Thursday, the AL chief expressed his hope that the resumption of peace talks will get the peace process out of the stalemate it had been witnessing under the former Israeli government and to be conducive to the establishment of a just and durable peace according to UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425, the land-for-peace formula and Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories in Palestine, the Golan, south Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
In Amman Jordan welcomed the decision to resume negotiations on the Syrian-Israeli track.
Jordan's deputy premier and information minister, Ayman al-Majali, said that Jordan, under the leadership of King Abdullah II, once again confirms that a just and comprehensive peace is the sublime goal that all sides concerned should work for a better future to the region and the coming generations.
Al-Majali described the decision to resume negotiations on the Syrian track as a step on the right path towards achieving peace which is built on international legitimacy resolutions and the land-for-peace formula.
The Jordanian minister expressed his hope that negotiations will be resumed very soon on the Lebanese track, adding that Jordan will stand with its Arab brothers in their negotiations on all tracks by all its possible utmost power and capability.
On Thursday Russia welcomed the resumption of peace talks on the Syrian track and considered it as an important step on achieving peace according to UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425.
In a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry of Thursday, Russia said, "In its capacity as one of the Middle East peace process cosponsors, Russia had exerted relentless efforts in coordination with the US cosponsor and the EU and other sides concerned in order to resume moves on all tracks." The statement stressed Russia's commitment to contributing to fruitful dialogue on the Syrian track and finding out a solution to the question of south Lebanon.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine expressed his conviction that resumption of peace talks between Syria and Israel would result into an agreement.
In a statement Vedrine expressed his hope that these negotiations will result in a just and durable agreement. He welcomed the US efforts to resume the negotiations, adding that his country is ready to provide help in reaching an agreement and in implementing it.
