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Bashar seeks French help in Israel talks

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad asked France on Saturday to assist in direct peace negotiations between Syria and Israel, alongside the United States.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 23:18 July 12, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomes Syria's President Bashar Al Assad as he arrives at the Elysee Palace on Saturday.
  • Image Credit: Reuters
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Paris, France: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad asked France on Saturday to assist in direct peace negotiations between Syria and Israel, alongside the United States.

Ending years of isolation from the West, Bashar held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the eve of a major EU-Mediterranean summit and signalled his willingness for face-to-face talks with Israel.

In a joint Franco-Syrian statement following the meeting, Sarkozy also said he welcomed Bashar's determination to establish diplomatic relations with neighbouring Lebanon.

"The Syrian President has expressed his wish that France, together with the United States of America, fully contributes to a future peace agreement between Syria and Israel, both to the direct peace talks and to the implementation of the peace agreement," the statement said.

Syria launched indirect peace talks with Israel this year under Turkish mediation over the return of the Golan Heights captured by Israel in 1967.

The statement added that Sarkozy would visit Syria by mid-September to relaunch relations between Paris and Damascus.

Bashar met Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman for the first time on Saturday as well as the Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Sulaiman told reporters that relations with neighbouring Syria were good and that his country would like to open a diplomatic mission in Damascus.

"We too obviously want an exchange of ambassadors and diplomatic relations with Syria," he said after meeting Sarkozy. The establishment of embassies would amount to a Syrian recognition of Lebanon's sovereignty.

Today's summit will draw more than 40 heads of state and government to Paris and is aimed at breathing new life into the existing Euro-Med partnership, creating a more equal dialogue between countries lining the Mediterranean.

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