Syrian Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam and Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara discussed Middle East peace efforts with French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday (January 6).
Syria on Sunday (January 4) urged France to ensure a greater European role in Arab-Israeli negotiations.
“France…exerted efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, especially after President Jacques Chirac took office. It is useful to continue these efforts to instigate a greater European role in the process,” the official daily Tishreen said in Damascus.
Khaddam told waiting journalists after his meeting with Chirac that they discussed the situation and all its aspects in the region, and the peace process and the dangers of stalemate. He went on to say if Israel really wants to withdraw from South Lebanon then nobody wants to stand in its way.
The visit by Khaddam and al-Shara was to be in advance of a visit to the Middle East by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine.
Vedrine will visit Syria, Lebanon and Jordan on January 12-14 during which he will discuss how to resume the Syrian- Israeli talks which broke down early in 1996.
The French foreign minister visited Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian self-ruled areas in November.
