Friday 20 November 2009

Assad: Talks with Israel Begin When it Guarantees Return of Land and Rights


AL-manar


20/11/2009 Syrian President Bashar Assad’s information adviser Buthaina Shaaban revealed in a press conference Thursday part of the conversation between Assad and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris.
“President Sarkozy told President Assad that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu wants to start peace talks with you, and that you begin talks without preconditions. President Assad replied saying: No, this is unacceptable. We go for talks after Netanyahu guarantees the full return of land and rights. Sarkozy then said: But I have discussed this with Netanyahu and he told me that this will be the result of the talks. President Assad replied: No, this is where talks begin from. The result of the talks is peace; if you want peace then the result will be peace.”
Shaaban added that talks went on between the two presidents for two hours “during which they tackled the peace process, the resistance, Iran and its new reactor and Syria’s relations with Turkey.”

Speaking to Al-Manar, Shaaban refused to talk about ‘expected’ visits to Damascus by Lebanese officials. “This is a decision to be taken by the Syrian government not me, and we’ll address everything in the right time,” she said.
“We always welcome the best ties between Lebanon and Syria. Lebanon is a brotherly state and we are happy that a national unity government was formed in Beirut,” Shaaban added. She also pointed that security, stability and prosperity in Lebanon is security, stability and prosperity in Syria.

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