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Assad's son visits Saudi Arabia, stirring speculation

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, July 12, 1999

LONDON [MENL] -- The son of Syrian President Hafez Assad has arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of an effort to press Damascus's demands that Middle East peace talks focus on the return of the Golan Heights.

Bashar Assad was scheduled to visit Saudi King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Aziz. The London-based Al Hayat newspaper said the talks will focus on the Middle East peace process.

Diplomatic sources, however, said that the talks will probably include financial aid to Syria to allow Damascus to purchase weapons from Russia. Talks to complete a $2 billion arms deal with Moscow failed to reach a conclusion because of disagreement of a repayment schedule of $6.5 billion of Syria's debt to Russia.

The Syrian president on Saturday night telephoned Jordan's King Abdullah and discussed the next step in the Middle East peace process, officials said. They said Abdullah pledged his support for Assad's demand that negotiations with Israel begin at the point they were halted in 1996.

Syria asserts that then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin pledged a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. Israel denies this.

On Sunday, the Syrian Times said Israel and Syria could conclude a peace agreement within weeks if Prime Minister Ehud Barak agrees to fulfill international commitments.

Monday, July 12, 1999


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