Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be in Paris at the same time on July 13, which offers the possibility of an historic meeting between the two leaders, France's chief diplomat Bernard Kouchner said.
Raising the hypothesis, the French foreign minister noted that the leaders of the two countries, which were already conducting indirect peace talks through the intermediary of the Turks, had been invited to grace the official ceremony for launching the proposed Union for the Mediterranean slated for July 13 in the French capital.
"We are pleased that the Syrians are speaking to the Israelis. On that day (July 13) it will be possible for the two leaders to meet, if so desired," said the foreign minister, describing such a meeting as history-making.
"Such a direct meeting between Assad and Olmert, which is unprecedented as far as an Israeli prime minister and a Syrian president is concerned, would be a historic event and would have ahuge impact," Kouchner was quoted as saying.
So far, Syrian authorities have not officially confirmed that President Assad will be in Paris for the Euro-Mediterranean summit, but, according to diplomatic sources, "there are no indications that he will not honor his invitation."
Since the successful election of Gen. Michel Sleimane as Lebanese head of state, France, which had previously accused Damascus of blocking the polls, has been pursuing an active policy of openness with regard to Syria.
Earlier on Monday, a senior Israeli official fell short of confirming the possibility of a meeting between Assad and Olmert, saying: "The prime minister has repeatedly affirmed his readiness to meet any Arab leader. France has invited us to this meeting together with leaders of other Mediterranean states and we hope to participate."
In his remarks, Kouchner also took time to lay emphasis on the fact that the "time" was "ripe" for a breakthrough, referring to talks that are currently underway between Israel and Syria under the auspices of Turkey.
Concluded in Turkey Monday, the second round of the indirect discussions were described by meida as "positive" by both Israeli and Turkish officials.
"Two further meetings are scheduled to be held in July," Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told reported in Luxembourg on Tuesday, noting that both parties involved "have left these negotiations very satisfied with the outcome."
Source:Xinhua
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