The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, received the Syrian Vice President, Abdel Halim Khaddam, yesterday upon his arrival in Doha to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The official Qatar News Agency, which reported the news, did not mention the details of the meeting.
During his two-day visit to Qatar, Khaddam is also scheduled to meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Crown Prince of Qatar. Their discussions will focus on regional developments, particularly the Palestinian issue, the occupied Golan, the Shebaa farms, and the situation in Iraq, as stated by the Syrian Ambassador to Doha, Hatta Ibrahim.
Khaddam’s visit to Qatar, a country with strong relations with the United States, coincides with renewed discussions in the region about resuming Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations.
Terry Rudd Alrasen, the United Nations Coordinator for Peace in the Middle East, announced on November 24 in Damascus after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that he was extending his hand to his Israeli counterpart and was prepared to engage in negotiations without any preconditions.
Israel responded to these statements with reservations. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom stated that Syria must cease all terrorist activities from its territory before making a peace offer. Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, expressed the Council’s support for Syria’s efforts to revive the peace process with Israel.
Apart from Qatar, the Gulf Cooperation Council comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.
