DATE=4/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EGYPT/SYRIA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261075
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met
with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the stalled
peace talks between Israel and Syria, and on the
Israeli decision to withdraw its troops from south
Lebanon. From Cairo, Lisa Bryant reports.
TEXT: Foreign Minister Sharaa hailed Israel's
decision to withdraw its troops from south Lebanon as
a victory for Lebanon and for the Arab world. But he
warned the area would remain unstable until Israel
addressed the problem of Palestinian refugees in
Lebanon.
Speaking to reporters following talks with President
Mubarak in Cairo, the Syrian envoy criticized Israel
for suggesting that Damascus was against unconditional
Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Mr.
Sharaa said the opposite was true.
But Mr. Sharaa cast doubt that Israel would honor
United Nations resolutions calling for a U-N force to
oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Mr. Sharaa
said Israel has not abided by past U-N resolutions, so
there is no reason to believe it would do so now.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has set a July
deadline for full withdrawal of Israeli troops from
southern Lebanon. Mr. Barak initially hoped the
withdrawal would coincide with a peace agreement with
Damascus. But peace talks between the two countries
became deadlocked in January over Syria's demands for
full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
A recent meeting in Geneva between President Clinton
and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad failed to revive
the peace process.
Egypt has been mediating peace discussions between
Syria and Israel, as well as those between Israel and
the Palestinians. (SIGNED)
NEB/LB/DW/JP
08-Apr-2000 12:28 PM EDT (08-Apr-2000 1628 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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