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Syria urges US to include it and Lebanon in Middle East roadmap
Jordan Times, 5/28/03
CHERSONISSOS, Crete (AFP) — Damascus called Tuesday for the US-backed roadmap for peace to be broadened to include Syria and Lebanon in a bid to end decades of conflict across the Middle East.
“The roadmap ... has to address the Lebanese and Syrian tracks,” Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al Sharaa told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU and Arab ministers in Crete.
“The two tracks are united and they will be a part of the whole solution in the Middle East,” he said, adding Damascus did not oppose the roadmap as such but wanted it to be expanded.
The plan aims to end the cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and envisages the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders are expected to discuss it at a summit to be hosted by US President George W. Bush possibly as early as next week.
In a statement issued at the end of the EuroMed Conference, the ministers called on the roadmap to be implemented without delay.
“The roadmap ... is a great opportunity to bring back substantial peace negotiations which should not be missed,” the text issued by Greek officials added.
But in a sign of the persistent tensions, a family photo of the delegates was cancelled Monday when the Israeli and Arab delegations, notably the Syrians, refused to be pictured together, Greek EU presidency sources said.
Earlier Tuesday in a clear reference to Syria's archfoe Israel, the Syrian foreign minister urged Bush not to act in a “selective” manner by favouring “the interests of one side rather than the interests of all the parties to the conflict in the region.”
Syria boycotted the last EuroMed Conference because of Israel's presence, but Damascus has recently said it is ready to revive peace negotiations with Israel on the basis of UN resolutions — which notably require Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights it occupied in 1967.
Peace talks between the two broke down three years ago.
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom earlier said talks could only begin if Syria “ends terrorism and doesn't allow extremists to have training camps on its territory.”
The annual forum gathered ministers from the 15 EU member states, representatives from the 10 states due to join in 2004 and ministers from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |