Syrian president visits Moscow for talks on Middle East
Russian President Vladimir Putin today welcomed Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad for talks focusing on for talks focusing on Middle East peace efforts, tensions among Palestinians and the situation in Lebanon – part of Moscow’s attempt to strengthen its role in the region.
Putin talked on Friday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, who asked Moscow to use its influence with Damascus, a Soviet-era ally, to help improve the Lebanese-Syrian ties.
“Unfortunately, the situation in the Middle East remains tense,” Putin told Assad at the start of their talks in the Kremlin. “We are seeing that one conflict in the region is developing after another, and that can’t but concern us.”
Putin and Assad were expected to talk about easing tensions among the Palestinians, where supporters of the president and the prime minister have been locked in a violent stand-off, as well as efforts to hold peace talks between Syria and Israel.
Syria has expressed willingness in recent days to restart peace talks with Israel, but Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today said it was impossible now because of Damascus’ support for Israel’s enemies Hezbollah and Hamas.
Putin referred to his recent talks with Olmert and Saniora, adding that Russia was trying to contribute to peace efforts. Russia has been a co-sponsor of the peace process along with the United States, European Union and the United Nations.
“We are continuing to participate in the Middle East peace process as actively as we can,” Putin said. “Syria always has and will play an important role in the region.”
The Syrian-backed Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah and its allies have been holding protests against Saniora’s government in an attempt to force it to resign. The group is demanding a national unity government in which it would have wider representation with effective veto powers.
“We are playing an important role in ensuring the stability of our region,” Assad told Putin. “And we will orient others to act in the same direction.”
Assad and Putin were also expected to discuss ways of ending violence in Iraq.
Russia and Syria have long-standing economic and political ties. Last year, Moscow agreed to write off nearly three-quarters of Syria’s debt in a bid to increase economic relations between the two countries.
“Our co-operation has strengthened recently, and one of the aims of my visit is to widen that cooperation in different areas,” Assad said at the start of the Kremlin talks.
Russia has also been a major weapons supplier to Syria, and Israel has raised concerns that Russian weapons sent to Syria ended up in Hezbollah guerrillas’ hands during the summer war with Israel.
Moscow has denied its missiles reached Hezbollah.
