Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Thursday that his country would play a constructive role in Lebanon. he made this comment while visiting in Germany.
Muallem said Damascus would support ongoing efforts by the Arab League to break Beirut's presidential crisis. According to AFP, Muallem told reporters following a meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, that a "comprehensive and just peace" between Israelis and Palestinians and an end to the dispute over the Golan Heights were Damascus' "top priority."
"It is in the interest of Syria to play a positive role to ensure security and stability in this turbulent region," the top Syrian diplomat said. "With peace, security for all will be ensured. With peace, we will have economic prosperity for all as well as the answer to extremism in the region." Muallem added.
Steinmeier said he was aware all sides would have to make "painful compromises" to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East. But he said Syria could count on European support if it helped remove key obstacles.
"If Syria makes visible, constructive efforts that lead to less tension in a region shaken and marked by crises and conflict, Syrian-German ties and also Syrian-European ties have potential that can be developed," he said.
Muallem said he was hoping for progress after a conference on Middle East peace in Annapolis, Maryland in November at a planned follow-up meeting in Moscow.
