Annapolis summit to address the occupied Syrian lands, says Syrian FM

Saturday November 24, 2007 12:15 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

Syrian foreign minister, Walid Almo'alem, stated yesterday that the U.S agreed to include the issue of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights into the next week Annapolis's peace summit.

Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Almo'alem

Almo'alem, however, maintained that Damascus is yet to decide on participation, the Syrian News Agency reported.

The agency quoted Almo'lem as saying " the United States has assured the Syrian side that the occupied Golan Heights will be included in the Annapolis's agenda".

"Syria will declare whether it will participate, once it receives the conference's agenda", the Syrian FM confirmed.

Almo'alem's remarks came on the sideline of a meeting of Arab FMs in Cairo, to discuss the basis of Arab states' participation in the Annapolis summit.

Media sources said on Friday that Washington has sent out assurances to the Arab foreign minister's meeting that the Syrian-Israel track will be tackled.

Saudi Arabia, which has never officially recognized Israel, said it will take part in the Washington-sponsored conference, given what Saudi FM says ' Arab consensus' on attendance.

The Annapolis summit, according to U.S Secretary of States, Condoleezza Rice, will constitute a launching pad for a reliable Palestinian-Israeli peace talks that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, based the two-state solution, envisioned by U.S's president Gorge .W Bush.

Washington has so far sponsored a series of Arab-Israeli peace conferences, starting from Madrid of 1991, Oslo of 1993, Camp David of 2000 and finally Annapolis of 2007, expected to take place next Wednesday in Annapolis, Maryland, United States.

arab world | peace process | news report rami at imemc dot org