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November 25, 2007

Syrian Government to Attend Mideast Peace Conference
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A5D145:A6F02AD83191E1604B4BE238B94B1B7270AD7039DCD7B7E4& Damascus said
Sunday that it is sending Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad to
Tuesday's conference





Faysaal Mekdad (file)

Syria has accepted a U.S. invitation to attend this week's Mideast
peace conference in the city of Annapolis, ending the uncertainty
about whether Damascus would participate.

The Syrian government said Sunday that it is sending Deputy Foreign
Minister Faysal Mekdad to Tuesday's conference.

Damascus says it decided to take part after the Israeli-Syrian peace
track was added to the agenda.  Syria had made its participation
conditional on the talks covering its demand for a return of the Golan
Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin welcomed Syria's
announcement. She says the Annapolis conference will remain focused on
Israeli-Palestinian issues, but may also open what she called "new
avenues" to peace in the Middle East.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said today it is important for
Arab states to support Palestinian peace efforts. But, she also says
the Arab world does not have the right to define the terms of
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Arab League foreign ministers decided to attend the Annapolis
conference during a meeting in Cairo last Friday.

In another development, Pope Benedict urged the faithful today to pray
that participants at the conference find the "wisdom and courage" to
bring peace to the Holy Land. In his weekly address in the Vatican,
Benedict said he hoped the talks will lead to a "just and definitive"
solution to the 60-year Arab-Israeli conflict.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert arrived in Washington Sunday for talks with U.S. officials
ahead of the conference.

 Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.




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