Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem has said he will
visit France on July 3-4 to discuss bilateral relations, the proposed
Euro-Mediterranean union and a possible visit by Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad to France to take part in its National Day.
Lawmakers told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa Tuesday that al-Moallem revealed
that Spain and Germany had offered to be mediators in the indirect
Syrian-Israeli talks, but Syria chose Turkey for its position as a neighbouring
country.
The talks, which broke an eight-year hiatus on negotiations between the
countries, began last month in Istanbul, where Turkish officials had to shuttle
between the representatives for the two sides who did not meet each other.
"Israel manipulates with time in these indirect talks; Syria can
manipulate too," al-Moallem was quoted by Syrian parliamentarians as
saying.
Al-Moallem has also said his country had contributed to the success of the Doha
agreement, saying that Syria cares for Lebanon's stability.
The deal brokered in Doha, Qatar resolved a long-running political standoff in
Lebanon over the election of a president.
"Qatar's support for Syria during the past few years is highly
appreciated," he added, according to dpa.