By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : President Bashar al-Assad has stressed the importance of adopting dialogue and diplomacy as the only way to solve conflicts, saying that the end of Israeli occupation of the Arab lands is the guarantee for achieving permanent peace and security in the Middle East.
Al-Assad discussed with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in a meeting here Monday the situation in the region and the Caucasus as well as the dangers that surround the aspired peace in both regions.
Kouchner said that France, as head of the European Union, wants Europe to play its role and assume responsiblity in the Middle East.
He thanked al-Assad for Syria’s constructive role under his leadership in finding political solutions to the crises in the Middle East.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and the Political and Media Advisor at the State Presidency Buthaina Shaaban attended the meeting.
Later, al-Moallem discussed with his French counterpart in a separate meeting the forthcoming visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Syria.
Following the meeting, both sides held a press conference during which Kouchner said that a new era has begun between Syria and France.
“Talks with President al-Assad dealt with the situation in Iraq, Iran and the peace process in the Middle East,” Kouchner said.
He expressed his country’s appreciation of Syria for hosting 1.5 million Iraqi refugees since the US war on Iraq.
“Kouchner discussed with President al-Assad preparations of President Sarkozy’s visit to Syria due in the first week of September, and means of achieving peace and security in the region, on top the peace process in addition to the situation in Lebanon and Iraq,” al-Moallem said.
On the indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel under Turkish mediation, al-Moallem said that the talks did not gain enough progress to become direct.
“The two sides still discuss pending issues, on top outlining the line of June 4, 1967,” the foreign minister said.
The Syrian-French Summit held between al-Assad and Sarkozy last July in Paris resulted in agreement on launching bilateral ties and pushing cooperation in the filed of petroleum, electricity and renewable energy.