EGYPT: SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD ARRIVES FOR LANDMARK FIRST VISIT SINCE TAKING OFFICE

Record ID: 276774

  • Title: EGYPT: SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD ARRIVES FOR LANDMARK FIRST VISIT SINCE TAKING OFFICE
  • Date: 2nd October 2000
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (OCTOBER 1, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR PRESIDENTIAL PALACE' SLV ARRIVAL OF PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND PRESIDENT ASSAD OF SYRIA; MUBARAK STEPS FROM CAR AND THE TWO LEADERS WALK ALONG RED CARPET TO GUARD OF HONOUR (2 SHOTS) 0.32 2. SLV PRESIDENTS TAKE THE SALUTE FROM THE EGYPTIAN ARMY 0.40 3. MV ASSAD AND MUBARAK WALK UP RE
  • Embargoed: 17th October 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVAA86QEIKVWBV1Y0KVN3BUEO0DI
  • Story Text: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in Cairo
    for a landmark first visit abroad since he took office in July
    this year.

    He is expected to hold high level talks with Egyptian
    President Mubarak over the escalating violence in Jerusalem.

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Cairo on
    Sunday (October 1, 2000). This is his first visit abroad since
    he took office in July.

    The 34-year-old president, who took over the leadership
    following the death in June of his father, Hafez al-Assad, met
    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 72. Their talks are expected
    to focus on renewed Israeli-Palestinian violence, the thorny
    issue of an Arab summit as well as Middle East peace talks.

    Saturday's visit was spurred by bloody clashes over the
    past four days between Palestinians and Israeli security
    forces in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the
    Jewish state itself. At least 19 Palestinians have been
    killed.

    Arab League permanent representatives met in Cairo on
    Sunday at Arafat's request to discuss the clashes.

    The two leaders were initially accompanied by delegations
    of key ministers, including Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq
    al-Shara and his Egyptian counterpart Amr Moussa, but were
    expected to hold one-on-one talks later on Sunday.

    Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign
    a peace deal with Israel, had been playing a mediation role in
    the sporadic Syrian-Israeli peace talks, which opened in 1991
    and last broke off in January.

    But Egypt's mediation with hardline Syria has not been as
    active and high-profile as with the Palestinians, who
    regularly consult Mubarak on key developments in peace talks.

    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat visited Cairo on
    Saturday in the latest of a series of visits since a
    U.S.-sponsored peace summit failed to clinch a deal in July.

    The most recent Arab summit was held in Cairo in 1996 to
    discuss the future of the Arab-Israeli peace talks, but Iraq
    -- which invaded Kuwait in 1990 -- was not invited. Efforts to
    set up subsequent summits foundered amid the opposition of
    some Arab states, mainly Kuwait, which do not want Iraq to
    attend.

    On Thursday Syria renewed a call to hold an Arab summit
    including Iraq. Damascus wants an Arab summit sooner rather
    than later to bolster its position in the stalled peace talks
    with Israel. Egypt is seen by some analysts as more wary of
    rushing into a gathering which might only highlight Arab
    divisions.

    Bashar had originally been expected to visit Cairo in
    early September, but analysts said the visit had been delayed
    because of differences, partly over the timing of an Arab
    summit.

    Mubarak, who has been a frequent visitor to Syria, last
    traveled to Damascus in June for Hafez Assad's funeral.

    Egypt has said Iraq should attend the next summit. Some
    analysts have suggested there might be a behind-the-scenes
    agreement to invite Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on the
    understanding that he would not actually attend, but would
    send a deputy instead.

    Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting at
    Arab League headquarters in Cairo on October 21 and 22 to
    discuss when to convene the summit.


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