|
Syria's Assad Discusses Iraq with Kuwait's Al Sabah
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held talks Sunday with Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on the 11-year-old dispute between the emirate and Iraq, news agencies reported Sunday.
Talks between Assad and Sheikh Jaber focused on a number of economic and political issues, including the standoff between Kuwait and Iraq, an official Kuwaiti source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Assad explained to the emir Damascus' view that the wide-ranging international economic sanctions imposed on Baghdad for invading Kuwait in 1990 have severely harmed the Iraqi people, the source said.
Kuwait maintains that the Iraqi regime should be held responsible for prolonging the embargo for refusing to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions declared after the invasion.
The Syrian leader, on his first trip to Kuwait since taking office a year ago, extended his visit to continue talks, but it was not clear whether discussions would focus solely on Iraq.
"Due to the brotherly atmosphere surrounding the visit [of Assad] and topics of mutual interest, the visit has been extended by another day," the official Kuwait news agency, KUNA, said.
A Kuwaiti official said the visit was extended because of Assad's "overcrowded program".
Kuwait's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, meanwhile, said he was unaware of any initiative by Assad to hold a three-way meeting between Iraq, Kuwait and Syria, according to a report published by the Al-Siyassa newspaper on Saturday.
On Thursday, Kuwait and Syria signed three cooperation agreements on administration, agriculture and investment at the end of a joint ministerial meeting held in Damascus.
The Syrian press described Kuwaiti-Syrian relations as an example to be followed and said Assad's visit to Kuwait is an opportunity to assert Syria's firm stand regarding Kuwait's independence and sovereignty, KUNA reported.
For its part, the Syrian daily Techrin said the visit would contribute in boosting brotherly relations and co-operation between the two countries in all fields, and would also be an opportunity for co-ordination between the two leaderships to bolster Arab solidarity.
Another Syrian newspaper, Al-Thawra, said Kuwaiti-Syrian discussions are expected to be positive and to open new horizons of co-operation. It pointed out the desire of both countries to upgrade the level of bilateral relations to reach the highest levels.
The Al-Ba'ath newspaper recalled late president Hafiz Al-Assad's support for Kuwait during the Iraqi offensive in 1990. "These stands reflected Hafiz Al-Assad's keenness on Kuwait's security and independence". His stands were a result of realizing that inter-Arab relation should be based on certain pillars of mutual respect and joint interests and the belief in unity of fate, the paper said.
But, Kuwaiti papers did not share the Syrian media's optimism, eyeing the Syrian president's visit with skepticism.
In an editorial in the Al-Watan daily, author Al-Mahdi raised questions on the possible effects of flourishing Syrian-Iraqi relations on Kuwait.
"We hope that the Iraqi-Syrian relations will benefit Arabs in general and Kuwaitis in specific because we have unresolved issues with Iraq that we hope we can find a quick solution to, most importantly the POWs held in Iraq," said Al Mahdi, adding that he wished Assad would intervene to free Kuwaiti POWs reportedly held by Iraq.
In another editorial in the same paper, a writer praised the late Syrian president's stances on Kuwait against the Iraqi invasion and urged Assad to follow in his father's footsteps.
Over the past three decades, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development granted Syria over one billion dollars in loans for development projects, most of which came after the 1991 Gulf War.
Syria fought alongside a U.S.-led coalition that ousted Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War. But Damascus and Baghdad started to normalize ties in 1997 with the restoration of economic links.
In January, Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara, who is accompanying Assad, renewed his country's support for the territorial integrity of Kuwait, following claims to the territory in Iraq's official press.
|
