Region | Palestinian Territories

US under Bush 'not keen on peace in Mideast'

The United States under President George W. Bush was not interested in bringing peace to the Middle East, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said here on Thursday.

  • IANS
  • Published: 00:08 June 20, 2008
  • Gulf News

New Delhi: The United States under President George W. Bush was not interested in bringing peace to the Middle East, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said here on Thursday.

"We look forward to good relations with the US as its role for the peace process in the Middle East is very important. Unfortunately, this US administration is not interested in peace. We will have to wait for the next one," the Syrian president, who arrived here on Tuesday for a five-day visit, told reporters.

In an interaction with journalists at a south Delhi hotel, Bashar shared his views on the situation in the Middle East and his discussions with Indian leaders over the last two days.

Less pessimistic

The Syrian president said he felt a "little less pessimistic" than he was a few months ago after Turkey's initiative to bring peace between Syria and Israel, the Doha talks and the truce reached between the Hamas and the Israeli government.

"There is a glimmer of hope now. There are positive changes that make the picture more positive."

But he was quick to point that unless these developments were backed up with the right steps, the situation in the region could worsen again. Responding to a question on how he saw the situation in the Middle East evolving the next five years, he said: "We could be an important player but we are not the only one."

President Bashar linked up the ongoing conflicts in the region, including Palestine, Lebanon and the indirect talks between Syria and Israel, and said: "All three should be negotiated together as one is related to the other and we are all inter-linked."

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