Syria rejects Arab peace initiative cmte backing of indirect talks

CAIRO, May 1 (KUNA) -- Syrian and Lebanon reject the Arab peace initiative follow-up committee's statement over Israeli-Palestinian indirect talks launch, Syria's representative to the Arab League Yousif Ahmad said Saturday, stressing that the US did not provide any assurances which would give the negotiations more credentials.

Ahmad, speaking after the committee said in a statement it backed the indirect talks' launch, said that they did not perceive any of these assurances by the US to the Palestinian side, particularly since "the US administration proved that it is incapable when it comes to promises made for the Arabic side." The Syrian official added that "a number of Arab countries expressed different views on the committee statement, however the Syrian and Lebanese views were identical on such issue," noting that Damascus and Beirut are major countries in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Ahmad added if Arab countries took a clear stance based on Arab basic needs for the Arab world, they could have received better assurances upon which the Palestinian authority would have negotiated for.

Source: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Link: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2079984&Language=en.