LOC18:41
15:41 GMT
PARIS, Dec 9 (KUNA) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Syrian
leader Bashar Al-Assad Thursday to discuss the tensions in Lebanon and the
moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which is failing because of
Israel's settlement policies and its refusal to heed international calls to
stop colonisation of Arab territories.
Sarkozy and Assad met over a working lunch at the Elysee Palace and the
Syrian President expressed his strong position on who was responsible for the
failure of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Leaving the meeting with the French leader, the Syrian President said the
situation of impasse was due to Israel and that if the talks don't work it is
the fault of Israel and "not the fault of the Americans" who tried to move
talks forward.
"We cannot blame the sponsor of the peace process. We must blame the
(responsible) parties. Israel is not present in the process," Assad remarked.
He also said that the whole issue should not be focusing on the settlements
as it is about "territory and rights" and he said "the territory will be
recovered, with settlements or without."
Assad said he had also appreciated and he wanted to praise the opposition
of Sarkozy concerning Israel's stated intention of holding a referendum on
withdrawal from the occupied Arab lands.
"Israel is like a thief who has stolen something and then takes it to the
thieves' market to sell it," Assad said, citing an Arabic saying.
He virulently criticized Israel's position in the peace process and refusal
to withdraw to 1967 borders. The Israeli stance is "not acceptable, morally or
legally," he said.
He urged France and the European Union to more forcefully take part in the
peace negotiations but he said he was pessimistic because Israel is blocking
the negotiations, and as long as the Israeli partner does not want peace,
there will be no peace in the Middle East.
Assad said that he had discussed the Lebanese situation with his French
counterpart and he said many parties were working to avoid any increase in
tensions or violence after the soon-expected announcement of the findings of
the Special Tribunal on the assassination five years ago of former Prime
Minister Rafiq Hariri.
"No party has any interest in having upheaval in Lebanon," he said.
There are fears that if indictments are issued by the UN tribunal, there
could be a backlash among certain Lebanese parties like the Hezbollah
resistance who are rumored to be among those cited in the findings.
Assad told journalists that discussions were ongoing between Syria and
Saudi Arabia on how to avoid any outbreak of violence and that these talks
also included France, which supported them.
He indicated there was "Franco-Saudi coordination" and "Franco-Syrian
coordination" and also "coordination" between the Syria and Saudi Arabia, but
he pointed out the Lebanese must solve their own problems.
"The solution, in the end, is Lebanese," he indicated, adding that Syria
would help "facilitate" that solution.
Sarkozy has met in the past couple of months here with the bulk of the
Lebanese leadership and most recently last week with Prime Minister Saad
Hariri, the son of the assassinated former Premier.
The French leader was said to be pressing Assad to do his utmost to avoid
any upsurge among Hezbollah factions in Lebanon. Assad is widely believed to
have strong influence on the Lebanese group.
The Syrian leader also said that he wanted to see Iraq find stability
through the formation of "a national unity government," although he stressed
Syria was not pushing for any party.
He "expressed support for the formation of a government" and he said "Syria
was in contact with all parties" in Iraq.
Assad indicated also that the question of Iran and its controversial
nuclear programme was not discussed in the talks with Sarkozy.
Upon leaving the Elysee residence of the French President, Assad headed for
a meeting with Bernard Accoyer, the Speaker of the French National Assembly,
and he is expected to stay in Paris on Friday for a private visit. (Pick up
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