FRANCE: THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD CONCLUDES HIS VISIT TO FRANCE WITH A NEWS CONFERENCE

Record ID: 276731

  • Title: FRANCE: THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD CONCLUDES HIS VISIT TO FRANCE WITH A NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Date: 27th June 2001
  • Summary: (W5) PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 27, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV/LV SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD ARRIVING IN CONFERENCE ROOM (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. MCU (Arabic) SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD SAYING: "Since the peace process was launched there is a single clear route for this process. I refer you to the international community's decisions as eviden
  • Embargoed: 12th July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVASYYVTT1EYM509BVB4O9FGQ6O
  • Story Text: The Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has concluded his
    visit to France with a news conference at which he said the
    Middle East peace process had achieved little in ten years.



    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused Israel on
    Wednesday (June 27) of neglecting to stand by U.N. Security
    Council resolutions, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of
    pushing the Middle East towards war.

    Winding up a visit to France marked by protests over
    remarks he made last month, which were seen as anti-Semitic,
    Assad criticised the Middle East diplomatic process as flawed.

    "If you look at everything that has been said by Israel
    over the last 10 years, you will see that nothing was said,
    nothing was written that, in any way, shows that it tends to
    stand by, respect and uphold these Security Council
    resolutions," Assad told a news conference in Paris.

    He said the peace process of the past decade had ignored
    UN Security Council resolutions and the basic principles of
    the 1991 Madrid peace conference.

    He made similar statements before the foreign affairs
    committee of the French National Assembly late on Tuesday,
    saying that the peace process was "agonising".

    Assad's visit has been dogged by protests, including one
    at Paris City Hall on Tuesday when local councillors disrupted
    a reception for him with a sign saying "Assad - Anti-Semite."
    Assad told Pope John Paul II in Damascus last month that
    the Jews betrayed Jesus Christ and tried to betray and kill
    the Prophet Mohammed. The comment was widely condemmed as
    anti-Semitic, although Assad said he was misunderstood.

    Assad told the news conference he had no plans to visit
    the United States and said the Bush administration had not yet
    done anything to advance the Middle East peace process.

    He renewed his call for a greater role in the peace
    process for Europe, which he said could complement
    Washington's diplomacy in the region.

    Assad said he planned to visit neighbouring Lebanon, where
    Damascus retains strong influence despite withdrawing 6,000
    troops from the Beirut area last week, but no date had been
    set.

    Jewish groups led several thousand demonstrators against
    the visit at rallies in Paris and Marseille on Monday.

    At a reception in his palace, President Jacques Chirac
    told Assad peace in the Middle East was impossible without
    mutual respect between all religions -- a veiled but clear
    reference to the Syrian leader's controversial remarks.

    Assad also heard a reminder from Prime Minister Lionel
    Jospin that France expected all countries in the Middle East
    to show "mutual harmony, tolerance and comprehension".

    The Syrian leader has insisted his comments on Jews were
    misunderstood. He told French lawmakers on Tuesday he had
    spoken out against Israelis, not Jews.


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