Progress as Rice talks to Syria and chats with Iran
The United States cautiously opened a previously locked door on talks with Syria and Iran yesterday, two pariah states that it blames for fomenting terrorism in the Middle East.
At an international conference on Iraq, Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, had a 30-minute meeting with her Syrian counterpart – the first such talks at this level in more than two years – and then “exchanged pleasantries†with Iran’s Foreign Minister.
The contact, particularly with Syria, reverses President Bush’s longstanding policy of isolating both countries. In February he rejected calls from both the independent Iraq Study Group and allies such as Tony Blair for greater diplomatic engagement. Mr Bush said that if Syria and Iran were not committed to beating terrorism, “then they shouldn’t bother to show up†at any proposed talks on Iraq or the Middle East.
At yesterday’s conference, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Syria’s Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem, not only turned up but also held lengthy talks with Dr Rice in a private room on the sidelines of the conference. “The meeting was frank and constructive. We discussed the situation in Iraq and how to achieve stability,†Mr Moualem said afterwards. “I didn’t lecture him and he didn’t lecture me,†reported Dr Rice. “I would say it was professional. It was businesslike.â€
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Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
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