Syrian agency on Al-Asad's Dubai TV interview on talks with Israel, other issues

Text of report in English by Syrian News Agency SANA website

[SANA Report :"President al-Assad:Who wants to Play Role in Region, He Has to Deal with Syria."]

DAMASCUS, 16 July (SANA) - President Bashar al-Assad [al-Asad] said Tuesday [15 July] that the regional and international circumstances have changed the matter that helped changing the world and that this change coincided with the change of the French President and thus the French policy.

In an interview to Dubai TV Channel and answering a question on the warm reception granted by France to his Excellency and whether there is any change in Syria, President al-Assad clarified that the only thing that didn't change is the Syrian policy.

"The reason is that the circumstances for us didn't change so much in the region. The occupation remained an occupation and the hegemony or the attempts to dominate us or the Arab countries, in general, remained the same, therefore, the Syrian policy didn't change since the circumstances didn't change in its essence regardless of some details in the topic,"

The President added that the main thing that changed is the Euro-American relations. " There is a vision appeared since more than a year for a number of European officials... We were hearing them in their private meetings talk about the lack of confidence in this administration, the embarrassment of Europeans, and hurting the western interests, in general, in the Middle East and in other areas across the world, "

The President indicated that the proposal was always shy since they try to show that they, in the West, are unified on various issues but in fact they are not, adding that it was clear regarding us even the French President has announced that. He pointed out that the announcement of the French President on abandonment of the former policies means many things for us. " It means France's role in the peace process, the Lebanese issue, France independence from the American role and the restoration of the French traditional role,"

President al-Assad added that the French President wanted to follow a realistic policy; it doesn't mean that we agree on everything or maybe on a lot of things but, in politic, it means to deal with who plays an efficient role.

On a question on the price that Syria had offered in return for the warm reception for his Excellency in the presence of more than 50 countries attending the French National Day, President al-Assad said "We didn't pay any price for any thing. Our stances are the same and I said to the French President Sarkozy and to other officials whom I met before I am not the person who carries prizes in his pockets and offers them to the officials to give him recompense".

He added: "They, sometimes, follow the policy of "Give me something to be able to market for you" but we have been always saying to them we don't have gifts in our pockets , we have rights and these rights are not for me but for Syria.... they are not owned by the President or any official, so we can't give them these rights to say we relinquished them. No abandonment of these rights...There are a certain realities that who wants to play a role in the region should deal with the countries of the region including Syria,"

The President indicated that there was an understanding of the Syrian position which works in the interest of the region and seeks for its stability particularly regarding the Lebanese issue.

He added "What happened in Doha was, basically, a Syrian proposal and the French side, for internal reasons, alongside with a number of concerned countries in the West and East were unable to market this issue," explaining that the temporary rupture occurred for a reason or another, but when the solution was reached in Doha they knew that Syria was right. He asserted: "we don't deny Qatar's main role in this issue".

He underlined that the noise that was raised on his visit to France helped its success.

"This happened because of French internal reasons or European ones or for reasons related to those who are harmed by this visit, consequently all of them served the visit so it came like that and gained media focus."

Responding a question whether Syria changed its resistance policy and on the secret of sudden move in many directions, the negotiations with Israel and the openness on France, President al-Assad said: "We always resist any thing that is against our interests but when this thing changes its direction towards serving our interests so there is no need for resistance".

He added: " We are against any negotiations if Israel doesn't commit itself, through a trustful mediator, to retune all our occupied lands... When we heard this speech from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan quoting Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert as saying directly to him, we considered that things went in the correct direction so we went towards peace negotiations which we had started in 1990s for the restoration of our rights," pointing out: " For us Erdogan is a reliable person and Turkey in general is reliable."

On a question on President Sarkozy's request of Syria to mediate with Iran after it was demanded to abandon its strategic alliance with it, the President noted that this means that President Sarkozy's policy is realistic and he knows that isolation policy leads for nothing. President al-Assad stressed that it is better to politically engage in the issue

Source: SANA news agency website, Damascus in English 16 Jul 08