President Assad
Photo: AFP
Syria urges US to play more active role in Mideast
Congressman, Assad discuss humanitarian situation in Gaza, need for active US role in achieving Mideast peace 'after experience has proven that wars create more problems and human catastrophes'
Syria's president urged the United States on Sunday to play a more active role in achieving Arab-Israeli peace, the country's state-run news agency said.
Disputed Region
Roee Nahmias
Syrian president tells Qatari paper al-Sharq, ' All Israeli governments are the same: Ariel Sharon carried out a massacre in Palestine, and Barak aided the war in Gaza, so there is no difference between Right and Left in Israel'
Syria's relations with the United States have been improving recently after a long chill following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon blamed Damascus for the killing, a claim that Syria denies.
The US withdrew its ambassador to Syria after Hariri's assassination, but more recently US officials have visited Damascus, including senior State Department envoy Jeffrey Feltman, who made the trip last month.
On Sunday, President Bashar Assad met in Damascus with US Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Republican Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina. The three focused on ways to develop bilateral relations through "serious and constructive dialogue based on mutual respect and common interests," SANA reported
"They also discussed the situation in the Middle East and the necessity that the United States plays an active role in achieving peace in the region after experience has proven that wars create more problems and human catastrophes," SANA said.
'Shared interests in the region'
A statement issued by the two congressmen, and distributed by the US Embassy in Damascus, said the two officials "had a candid and constructive" meeting with Assad over the Syrian-Lebanese relations, the security situation on the Syrian-Iraqi border, peace in the region and humanitarian situation in Gaza.
"We are optimistic that, although we have substantial differences, we nonetheless have shared interests in the region. With genuine effort on all sides, we are hopeful that we can work constructively toward our mutual goals," the statement added.
Both countries have said recently that they wish to improve relations, despite lingering differences, such as Syria's backing of terrorist Palestinian groups and Lebanon's Hizbullah as well as its alliance with Iran.
Israel and Syria held four rounds of indirect peace talks mediated by Turkey last year, but Syria cut off the negotiations in protest over Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza in December and January.
For the past year, Assad has been saying he wants direct negotiations with Israel mediated by the United States. Assad, who has also said he wants to meet President Barack Obama, is believed to be eager to end his country's isolation by establishing warmer ties with Washington and also to seal a peace deal with Israel to win back the Golan Heights.
