The Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, welcomed Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam yesterday, Sunday, upon his arrival in Doha to engage in talks concerning the situation in the Middle East, as reported by the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
During his two-day visit to Qatar, Khaddam is also scheduled to meet with Qatar’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
His discussions will focus on regional developments, particularly the Palestinian issue, the occupied Golan Heights, and the Shebaa farms, in addition to the situation in Iraq, according to Hatta Ibrahim, the Syrian ambassador to Doha, as stated to AFP.
Khaddam’s visit to Qatar, which maintains favorable relations with the United States, coincides with renewed discussions in the region regarding the resumption of Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations.
On November 24, the United Nations coordinator for peace in the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, announced in Damascus after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that the latter confirmed his willingness to extend a hand to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and engage in unconditional negotiations.
Israel has downplayed these statements, with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom insisting that Syria must cease terrorist activities originating from its territory before making a peace offer. The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, expressed the Council’s support for Syria’s endeavors to revive the peace process with Israel.
