Monday, April 21, 2008

Following Sadat's Footsteps?


Assad believes most differences with Israel resolved, Carter says

"Syrian President Basher Assad is "eager" to restart negotiations with Israel over the Golan Heights and believes that 85 percent of the differences between the two countries has already been resolved, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters following talks with officials in Syria and Egypt, Carter said: In all my conversations with President Assad, whom I've known since he was a college student, I was impressed with their eagerness, complete the agreement on the Golan Heights.".......

The former U.S. president also relayed that Assad believes "85 percent of the differences [between Israel and Syria] had already been resolved, including an agreement on the borders, on water rights - which is applied on the Sea of Galilee - on the security zone and on the presence of international forces."

Carter reiterated that "Syria believes that for all practical purposes all the differences have already been resolved between Syria and Israel and it is just a matter of reconvening the talks and concluding an agreement."

Speaking about the possibility of renewed peace talks between Israel and Syria, he said "Syria wants the U.S. to play a strong role in bringing to two sides together."......

Assad said Sunday that he has exchanged messages with Israel through a third party to explore the possibility of resuming peace talks, the country's official news agency SANA reported.

During a meeting with Syria's ruling Baath Party officials, Assad commented on media reports about indirect contact between the two countries.

"There are efforts exerted in this direction," he was quoted as saying........"

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