Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad urges U.S. to move away from dictating policy

2009-02-22 05:21:48  

    DAMASCUS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) --

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held separate talks with two U.S. congressional delegations on Saturday and stressed the necessity for Washington to move away from the "dictating policy," the official SANA news agency reported.

    Assad met the two delegations, respectively headed by John Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, and Howard Berman, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Foreign Relations committee, SANA said.

    "The Syrian-American relations must be based on the correct understanding of the region's issues and the common interests," Assad was quoted as saying.

    "Dialogue is the only way to know the truth about the problems and put a comprehensive vision of the solutions based on the history of the region and the rights of its peoples," he added.

    Assad discussed with the U.S. delegations bilateral relations and the situations in the Middle East, briefing them Syria's vision on all the developments, SANA said.

    "Any talk about the peace process requires, first and foremost, the existence of parties who believe in peace and have the sincere intention to work for this purpose," said Assad.

    The congressional delegations stressed Syria's active role in the region and emphasized the importance to develop dialogue between Damascus and Washington, especially in light of a new approach that the new U.S. administration wish to adopt in the region, SANA said.

    Kerry said his "extensive" talks with Assad on issues of interest for Syria, the United States and the region, were "very positive and comprehensive," according to SANA.

    Besides Kerry and Berman's visits, two other U.S. congressional delegations made trips to Damascus after President Barack Obama assumed office in January.

    On Wednesday, Assad held a meeting with Benjamin Cardin, a member of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, and on Jan. 31, with a delegation led by U.S. congressman Adam Smith.

    During the talks, Assad stressed the importance to develop relations with the U.S. through serious, constructive and positive dialogue based on mutual respect and joint interest, according to SANA.

    Assad has said his country is willing to conduct dialogue with the U.S. without any preconditions.

    Syria was under continuous isolation during the Bush administration, which demanded Damascus stop supporting militant Palestinian groups and the Lebanese Hezbollah, sever its ties with Iran and control its borders with Iraq and stem anti-U.S. infiltrations from crossing into Iraq. 

Editor: Mu Xuequan