French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin called on the Palestinians and Israelis to abandon violence and focus on a political solution and the creation of a "democratic" Palestinian state.
After talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on Saturday, de Villepin also called for "self-restraint" along the Lebanese border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
He called on all parties to respect the so-called Blue Line, drawn by the United Nations after Israel's pullout from southern Lebanon in May 2000.
"Terrorist organizations fueling terrorism must be combated," de Villepin told a news conference in Damascus, AP reported.
He also called on Israel to stop the construction of Jewish settlements on the West Bank and end its occupation of the Palestinian territories in order to assist the creation of a "viable, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state."
The official Syrian Arab News Agency quoted Assad as telling the French minister that the United States must "preserve" its credibility in sponsoring the Middle East peace process.
Assad, according to the agency, also stressed in his meeting with de Villepin the importance of a European role in the Mideast peace process.
Al-Sharaa told reporters Bush's vision was "full of countless negative points, although there were some positive ones." He said the positive points were "scattered and are required to be reformulated to be in harmony with international legality resolutions."
"We are trying, painstakingly, to find any positive point in the American stand to make the American role more influential on the Palestinian cause and on the Arab-Israeli conflict in order to find the just and comprehensive solution in the Middle East," al-Sharaa said.
He also said that Syria "rejects any alternative leadership externally imposed on the Palestinian people," adding that only Palestinians could choose their leadership and representatives. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
