SYRIA TELLS UN THAT TALKS WITH ISRAEL COULD ENGENDER PEACE

SYRIA TELLS UN THAT TALKS WITH ISRAEL COULD ENGENDER PEACE New York, Sep 27 2008 1:10PM Indirect talks under way with Israel could pave the way towards peace, Syria's Foreign Affairs Minister <"http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/pdf/syria_en.pdf">said at the General Assembly's annual high-level segment today, but he cautioned that their outcome hinges on several factors.

Walid Al-Moualem echoed President Bashar Al-Assad's hope that the current negotiations, under Turkish auspices, will ultimately lead to direct talks backed by international parties.

"This, however, requires a genuine Israeli will capable of accommodating the exigencies of peace-making," the Minister told the General Debate.

"It also requires the will to include the peace in the Middle East on the American list of priorities after years of deliberately ignoring and failing to acknowledge it in such a way that has exacerbated the situation in the region."

Mr. Al-Moualem said his country plays an "essential part" in finding solutions to problems in the Middle East due to its location and "aspirations of its people."

The recent summit convened by Mr. Al-Assad in Damascus – attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – shows that these nations have a stake in the region's stability, the Minister said.

The four leaders "recognized that stasis, the suffering resulting from the Israeli occupation of Arab territories that has continued since 1967 and the disregard for the Palestinian people's rights throw the region in a state of despair," he added.

By calling for this summit, Syria "stressed that the just and comprehensive peace is its strategic choice and that it is striving to attain it in cooperation with regional and international partners who share Syria's vision," Mr. Al-Moualem noted.

Peace can only be achieved with the participation of all those with a stake in the issue, or those who can influence "the outcomes to evince the necessary political will," he told the Assembly.
2008-09-27 00:00:00.000

________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/