Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 18, 2009

Syrian President: Syria Ready to Cooperate With US
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=21B1064:A6F02AD83191E160A87EFB557FA6A90E2A201403E89ED254&
 
But Bashar al-Assad also signaled Damascus not ready to give up ties to
Iran 
Bashar al-Assad Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says his country wants
to cooperate with the new administration of U.S. President-elect Barack
Obama, and to contribute to Middle East stability. Mr. Assad made his
remarks in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel released
Saturday. Mr. Obama has said he may seek Syria's help in curbing Iran's
controversial nuclear work. In response, Mr. Assad said Damascus must be
included in the process, and that Syria has long been isolated from the
talks. Mr. Assad also signaled Damascus is not ready to give up its ties
to Iran. He said good relations with the United States would not mean
bad relations with Tehran. Syria's president encouraged Mr. Obama to
become seriously involved in the Middle East peace process. He said
Syria must help in the process, together with the Europeans. Some
information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.


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