The US State Department and the Syrian government announced today that Syrian Foreign Minister Abdal-Halim Khaddam will visit Washington from April 21 to 23 for meetings with President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance. His visit is at the invitation of Vance and will be part of the “ongoing discussions of their efforts for a just and lasting peace” in the Middle East, according to the State Department.
The Department’s chief spokesman, Hodding Carter, said that Khaddam’s visit “is not in lieu” of Carter’s planned meeting with President Hafez Assad of Syria in Europe in mid-May. When asked if the visit was related to the situation in southern Lebanon, which the State Department expressed serious concern about yesterday, Carter said, “There are many components to peace” in the region. He noted that Syria is a “key participant” in the peace efforts. Lebanese Foreign Minister Fuad Butros summoned US Ambassador Richard Parker today in Beirut to discuss events in southern Lebanon.
The Damascus announcement of his trip stated that it was concerned with “political and diplomatic efforts related to the Middle East issue.” The State Department spokesman did not specify that Lebanon was a major topic, but emphasized that Khaddam’s visit was part of US discussions to obtain views “on the proper way to achieve peace.”
