SYRIA: President Bashar al-Assad offers to mediate between Turkey and Armenia

Record ID: 279805

  • Title: SYRIA: President Bashar al-Assad offers to mediate between Turkey and Armenia
  • Date: 24th March 2010
  • Summary: (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) ASSAD AND SARKSYAN HAVING PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN JOURNALISTS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE ASSAD SPEAKING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIAN PRESIDENT, SAYING: "I stressed the importance of working to overcome all the disagreements between Armenia and Turkey and using the principle of dialogue between the two countrie
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2010 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVA8CW6NSAVYYUZ9YKVA95HRFF55
  • Story Text: Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan arrived in Damascus on Monday (March 22) for a three-day official visit to the country.
    Sarksyan met his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad for discussions on bilateral relations and international and regional developments.
    Assad said at a news conference, Syria was ready to help find common ground between Armenia and Turkey.
    "I stressed the importance of working to overcome all the disagreements between Armenia and Turkey and using the principle of dialogue between the two countries to continue building trust," Assad said during a news conference.
    "I renewed Syria's readiness to play a role in finding common ground in order to build Armenian-Turkish relationships that serve the security and stability of the region."
    Armenia signed a deal with Turkey last year to overcome a century of hostility and reopen their border.
    Speaking about Israel, Assad said the Israelis were openly defying international calls for peace by building more settlements.
    "We see and hear every day a threat of war instead of working towards peace, how Israel responds to the peace calls with an increasing siege, and building of settlements, a matter which can result in dangerous consequences," he added.
    Washington's strong relationship with Israel has suffered in recent days as the administration of Barack Obama lambasted an Israeli announcement to continue building settlements in mainly Arab east Jerusalem was timed with a visit by Vice-President Joseph Biden.
    Assad visited Armenia nine months ago and the two countries signed agreements on energy, agriculture and education.
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