FRANCE: SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUK AL-SHARAA VISIT

(18 Sep 1999) Arabic/Eng/Nat

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met with French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on Saturday to discuss Syria's role in the Middle East peace process.

Farouk al-Sharaa reiterated that there could be no separation between the Syrian and
Lebanese tracks in negotiations toward peace in the Middle East.

The meeting with the Syrian foreign minister was the first of three meetings related to the Middle East peace process that Chirac is holding over the next week.

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa arrived to Paris on Saturday to hold a talks with French President Jacques Chirac, with Middle East peace talks on the agenda.

Al-Sharaa said that France has an important role to play in the peace process.

The foreign minister presented a letter from his president to Chirac, who had spoken previously by telephone, examining the status of the peace process.

Assad visited France in July 1998 - his first visit here in 22 years.

The meeting with the Syrian foreign minister was the first of three meetings related to the Middle East peace process that Chirac is holding over the next week.

For al-Sharaa, the Israeli negotiations with Syria and Lebanon are the crucial to peace in the Middle East.

But he said that Israeli-Palestinian track, which has been revived in the past two months is welcomed by Syria.

SOUNDBITE (English):
" I'm not at all upset because Palestinians were able to sign an agreement..any advancement on the Israeli-Palestinian track is welcomed by Syria..we are no competing with each other"
SUPERCAPTION: Farouk al-Sharaa, Syrian Foreign Minister

Syria and Lebanon are insisting that joint peace talks be held with both of them. Syria is the main power broker in Lebanon.

The two countries say that Israel is trying to open separate and independent negotiations with Syria first so that it would not be forced to grant more concessions than necessary to Lebanon.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic):
"There are a lots of indications that the Israeli government is ready to restart the peace talks on the point where talks were stopped. But we would like to have confirmation that they will
indeed restart where they halted,"
SUPERCAPTION: Farouk al-Sharaa, Syrian Foreign Minister

French President Chirac is to meet Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and next Saturday with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

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