Damascus: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad said on Wednesday that he is willing to visit Lebanon but has not received an official invitation as yet. “It is natural that I visit Lebanon but at the right time”, he said, pointing that he had visited the country before in 2006 and an upcoming visit should not come as a surprise.
Al Assad’s comments came at a joint press conference held with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is on a visit to Damascus accompanied by a senior level delegation.
The Syrian President further warned that the Middle East peace process is “dying” because of the absence of a serious Israeli partner. The “return of land will achieve peace and not the other way round”, he added. He further praised the role Turkey is playing as a mediator in the peace process. “The Turkish mediator has been objective and fair, and was a successful mediator. We assure on this Turkish role today more than any time in the past”, Al Assad said.
Turkey has claimed a major role in the peace process since 2008 as it hosted in-direct talks between the parties involved.
