Syria urges U.S., Europe to offer support to comprehensive peace in Middle East

Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal has urged the United States and Europe to offer support to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, the official Syria Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Bilal made the remarks at a press conference in London on Monday during a visit which he said aimed to explain the Syrian vision of the developments in the region "face to face" with the Europeans.

"The problem with the U.S. and Europe lies in the unlimited military and diplomatic support to Israel at the expense of the Arabs and the interference in their affairs while there is no similar support to the Arabs by the West," Bilal indicated.

Bilal asserted that the essence of the Mideast issue is the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, saying that there will be no peace unless Israel withdraws to the 1967 line from all the occupied territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights.

Bilal said Syria is ready for dialogue with any party to restore the Golan, but the Bush administration shows no positive signs in this respect.

"Syria is fully aware that a peace process in the Middle East is almost impossible without involvement by the U.S. That is why the U.S. has to fulfill its duties in the negotiations because the U.S. is the only power capable of putting pressure on Israel in order to reach a settlement," he said.

Meanwhile, the Syrian official also criticized the Bush administration of intending to humiliate the Arabs through branding them with terrorism.

"This doesn't serve the breaking of barricades between the West and the Arabs or the possibility to reach an understanding," Bilal added.

Source: Xinhua