Mitchell: US Wants Syria Help in Israeli-Palestinian Talks
26/07/2009 The United States wants Syria's help in forging a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, US envoy George Mitchell said on Sunday.
Mitchell, the US special envoy for the Middle East, said after meeting President Bashar al-Assad that restarting talks between Syria, which backs the Palestinian group Hamas, and Israel was a "near-term goal" for Washington.
"If we are to succeed, we will need Arabs and Israelis alike to work with us to bring about comprehensive peace. We will welcome the full cooperation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in this historic endeavor," he said.
"I told President Bachar Assad that President Barack Obama is determined to facilitate a truly comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace," Mitchell told reporters.
For his part, Assad said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), that Syria was committed to the firm national principles for supporting the Arab right to the restoration of the occupied Arab lands through achieving the just and comprehensive peace based on the international legitimacy resolutions and references and on the land-for-peace principle.
Mitchell arrived overnight for his second visit to Damascus since mid-June on a trip that was to take him on to occupied Palestinian territories and Ramallah.
His talks with Assad are aimed at "trying to see what Syria's prepared to do... to move towards a comprehensive process," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Thursday.
"We're also trying to develop... bilateral issues that we have with the Syrians as well. I would imagine both of those will come up."
Washington announced on June 24 its decision to send an ambassador back to Damascus.
The US defense secretary was due to head to the region on Sunday for talks in Israel and Jordan. National Security Advisor James
Jones is also due in the Middle East later this week.
26/07/2009 The United States wants Syria's help in forging a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, US envoy George Mitchell said on Sunday.
Mitchell, the US special envoy for the Middle East, said after meeting President Bashar al-Assad that restarting talks between Syria, which backs the Palestinian group Hamas, and Israel was a "near-term goal" for Washington.
"If we are to succeed, we will need Arabs and Israelis alike to work with us to bring about comprehensive peace. We will welcome the full cooperation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic in this historic endeavor," he said.
"I told President Bachar Assad that President Barack Obama is determined to facilitate a truly comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace," Mitchell told reporters.
For his part, Assad said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), that Syria was committed to the firm national principles for supporting the Arab right to the restoration of the occupied Arab lands through achieving the just and comprehensive peace based on the international legitimacy resolutions and references and on the land-for-peace principle.
Mitchell arrived overnight for his second visit to Damascus since mid-June on a trip that was to take him on to occupied Palestinian territories and Ramallah.
His talks with Assad are aimed at "trying to see what Syria's prepared to do... to move towards a comprehensive process," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Thursday.
"We're also trying to develop... bilateral issues that we have with the Syrians as well. I would imagine both of those will come up."
Washington announced on June 24 its decision to send an ambassador back to Damascus.
The US defense secretary was due to head to the region on Sunday for talks in Israel and Jordan. National Security Advisor James
Jones is also due in the Middle East later this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment