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Syrian President Bashar Assad.
(AP)
Last update - 22:24 27/04/2009
After Lieberman remarks, Assad repeats Syria demand for Golan
By Reuters
Tags: Israel news, Assad, golan 

Syrian President Bashar Assad repeated Monday his country's demand for the return of the Golan Heights after Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that Syria should drop the demand as a precondition to peace talks.

"What is important is that the Golan is our territory, it is our right. It must be returned to us without fail," Assad said during a brief news conference after talks with his Austrian counterpart on a two-day visit to Vienna. "The Israeli government is not ready to give back the Golan. But Syria enjoys worldwide support for its right to recover the Golan. That is not being ... taken seriously [by Israel]... We can talk about peace when this principle is recognised."
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Syria says that Israel, which captured the strategic plateau in the 1967 Six Day War and annexed it in a step not recognized internationally, is legally required under United Nations resolutions to return the Golan along with other occupied Arab territory.

Lieberman said on Sunday he would be happy to negotiate with Syria, "but without preconditions and without ultimatums".

Assad did not refer to Lieberman's remarks, or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow on the election trail not to relinquish the Golan.


"No government [except Israel] has declared loudly than it does not want peace...[Netanyahu's government] has also rejected the principle of a two-state solution [for Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territory]," Assad continued. "[But] we will strive with our European friends and the U.S. administration for a peace action plan."


"We see a new optimistic mood in the world. It may not last long. We need to convert this optimism into action," he concluded.

Lieberman said Israel's less-than-month-old government was still drafting foreign policy positions, but made clear he saw Syria's fundamental demand for the Golan as debatable.

Netanyahu's centrist predecessor, Ehud Olmert, held indirect talks with Syria through Turkish mediators. Syria froze those contacts in protest at Israel's January war in Gaza, but has since signaled willingness to resume talks.

Related articles:
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  • Assad: Olmert agreed to give up all of the Golan
  • U.S. Senator Kerry: Assad ready to resume talks with Israel
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      1.   The Golan ? The security insurance of Israel. 18:19  |  Jean Van Daem 27/04/09
      2.   Syria does not want peace 18:47  |  peace lover 27/04/09
      3.   If there is one good thing that Lieberman does 18:53  |  Yonatan 27/04/09
      4.   The Politics make something so simple so difficult 18:56  |  worldpeace 27/04/09
      5.   The Golan will be returned. 19:01  |  Lou Medel 27/04/09
      6.   To Yonatan 19:10  |  Fair is Fair 27/04/09
      7.   Lou the Hypocrite as well as the eventual post from Nuttalie 19:43  |  Michael 27/04/09
      8.   Fair must be blind 19:44  |  Michael 27/04/09
      9.   The Bush-Sharon letter will go as well, writing on the wall... 19:47  |  BBSNews 27/04/09
      10.   Not soon 21:47  |  Hank 27/04/09
      11.   Is Syria ready? 01:35  |  utagawa 28/04/09
      12.   #1 Jean, just listen to yourself. 01:37  |  Johnboy 28/04/09
      13.   Michael, read Moshe Dayan... 01:58  |  BBSNews 28/04/09
      14.   The Golan belongs to Israel 02:06  |  Brod 28/04/09
      15.   UNSCR242 02:10  |  Le Corbeau 28/04/09
      16.   Barak and Olmert... The Same B.S!!! 02:23  |  David Stoler 28/04/09
      17.   HE KNOWED, AND KEEP REPEATS ITS, EVEN WE START TALKING 03:00  |  NOTHIN TO TALK ABOUT 28/04/09
      18.   We won, you lost. Too bad. 03:32  |  Aaron 28/04/09
      19.   BBSNews, "stolen", come on! 04:29  |  Israel Solomon 28/04/09
      20.   The Golan and #1 04:30  |  Neil 28/04/09
      21.   History 04:37  |  Iain 28/04/09
      22.   Neil Aukland NZ 11:08  |  The Teacher/Instruct 28/04/09
      23.   #12 Johnboy, just listen to yourself. 03:35  |  Morris Valentine 30/04/09
      24.   Stick it BS 10:35  |  Michael 30/04/09
      25.   In Neil`s book, the attacked are the attackers 10:37  |  Michael 30/04/09
      26.   Israel should Assad invite to spend his holidays 14:24  |  Jew- and Bookburner 09/05/09
      27.   The Golan 11:19  |  Rick 10/05/09
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