Paris, 3 June 2009 – Syria has the “strongest wish to normalise its relations with the United States, the European Union and the rest of the world” in the framework of a “global objective for peace” in the Middle East, declared Josette Durrieu (France, Socialist Group) before the Assembly on Wednesday.

In charge of a Political Committee report on European security and the Middle East to be submitted at the Assembly’s plenary session next December, Mrs Durrieu gave an oral presentation of her mission to the Middle East which took place prior to Barack Obama’s much-awaited speech to be delivered in Cairo on Thursday 4 June. In particular, she revealed the contents of talks she held with the Syrian President, Bashir al-Assad, on 3 March last. Mr al-Assad expressed the “strongest wish to normalise its relations with the United States, the European Union and the rest of the world” in the framework of a “global peace plan” of which he defined what for him were three non-negotiable stages:

1. “A ceasefire in Gaza, the lifting of the Israeli blockade and the exchange of prisoners under international supervision”.
2. “Inter-Palestinian reconciliation, taking account of all components, including Hamas, a vital interlocutor”.
3. “The possibility of a partial agreement on the Golan Heights, on condition that is within the framework of a global peace settlement”.

Mrs Durrieu felt that Barack Obama’s arrival in the White House had initiated “new relations” between the United States, Islam and the Arab states. “The centre of gravity has changed”, she added citing the key roles that fell to “Turkish diplomacy – a stabilising factor – in contacts with Syria, and to Egypt”.

According to Mrs Durrieu, relaunching the peace plan initiated by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in Beirut in 2002 “is central to the new political strategy”. This plan, she stressed, “is in the hands of Obama’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell”. It provides for the recognition of Israel by all the Arab states in exchange for a return to the 1967 borders, freedom of movement for Palestinians, withdrawal of Israeli settlements from Palestine and the existence of two states.

Mrs Durrieu also underscored the fact that her interlocutors were surprised that Europe did not have a strong political voice in the Middle East. “Are you going to carry on funding reconstruction without playing a political role”, she was asked.

During the debate, several speakers warned against having “excessively high expectations” of Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo, in particular given Israel’s intransigence and the “extremism” of the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman. “I am in no way blindly optimistic, rather I fail to understand Israel’s suicidal course”, Mrs Durrieu replied.