DAMASCUS/BEIRUT: US envoy George Mitchell on Wednesday met President Bashar Al-Assad and said Syria had an important role to play in the search for peace in the Middle East.
Mitchell reaffirmed President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s commitment “to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East that includes peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon.
“It also includes the full normalization of the relations between Israel and the Arab states, he said after arriving in Damascus from talks with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman in Beirut.
“Syria certainly has an important role to play in all these efforts, he told reporters on his third visit to the country since being appointed Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East.
In Beirut, Mitchell met with Sleiman, reiterating Washington’s commitment to the stalled Middle East peace process and Lebanon’s independence.
According to a statement released by the US embassy in Lebanon, in his meeting with Prime Minister Hariri late Tuesday, Mitchell confirmed that Washington would not support the full naturalization as Lebanese citizens of an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.
“Senator Mitchell reiterated that Lebanon would play a key role in the long-term effort to build lasting and comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East region and that there would not be a lasting solution reached at Lebanon’s expense, the statement said.
Mitchell is also due to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders on his trip as Washington strives to revive long-stalled peace talks, stymied when Israel launched an offensive on the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip in December 2008.
“This is my third meeting with the president and I look forward to build on the positive relationship we have to make tangible progress on our efforts to peace and on a bilateral relationship between US and Syria, he said.
Since Obama came to office exactly one year ago, official visits to Syria by US officials have multiplied as Washington believes Damascus can also help with issued relating to Iraq and Lebanon.
Mitchell’s latest tour comes less than a week after Obama’s national security adviser James Jones met Palestinian and Israeli leaders aimed at furthering US-led peace efforts.
The Palestinians say they will not resume talks until Israel halts all settlement building in the occupied territories. – AFP
