English/Nat
The Clinton Administration was cautiously upbeat on Friday about the upcoming peace talks between Syria and Israel, hoping that the two nation's willingness to resume talks would lead to greater stability in the Middle East.
U-S President Bill Clinton will launch peace talks between Israel and Syria on Wednesday at the White House and keep close watch over the negotiations on a land-for-peace accord.
Speaking at a State Department press conference on Friday, U-S Mediator Dennis Ross said he was under no illusions that talks between Syria and Israel would be fraught with disagreement.
But Ross said he believed the talks have the potential to make a real and lasting progress in the region.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are here to help, we have a very deep desire to ensure that complete Peace can be achieved. As the President has said repeatedly and the Secretary has said repeatedly, we are going to whatever it is we can to help facilitate the achievement of the objectives and obviously we feel that we are at a moment that has great possibilities. But also I think attached are great difficulties. There are difficult decisions to be made and these are difficult negotiations. I think we have to understand there's a resumption of negotiations, that have promise, but you still have to conduct them to see if you can bring them to a conclusion."
SUPER CAPTION: Dennis Ross, United States Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Talks
Clinton will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa, and keep them close at hand through the negotiations, which are due to end the following day.
Ross also said the talks will be centered on Syrian demands to reclaim the strategic Golan Heights enclave, with the Syrian President, Hafez Assad playing a crucial role.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"In terms of the negotiations I will simply say as I already said, that I think that President Assad will be involved in them and we'll see how the process unfolds. I said before I wouldn't exclude the possibility that the second phase of the negotiations would be in the United States."
SUPER CAPTION: Dennis Ross, United States Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Talks
To help oversee the talks, another US official said, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is cancelling a trip to Panama for ceremonies marking the US handover of the Panama Canal and may also cancel a trip to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization winter meeting in Brussels in order to attend the discussions in Washington.
Syria and Israel broke off negotiations over 3 years ago amid a spate of terrorist attacks on Israel.
Ross acknowledged Europe's role in bringing Israel and Syria to the table again.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well certainly there were a number of different formal and informal Europeans who were talking in Damascus and I think they were doing all they could to urge a resumption of the negotiations. I can't calibrate precisely what impact that had in terms of this decision, but I certainly think that it was factored into calcus." (brought into account)
SUPER CAPTION Dennis Ross, United States Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Talks
After the White House session the talks will be shifted to Blair House, the presidential guest house across Pennsylvania Avenue, or to another nearby location, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Any further talks likely would be held in the Middle East, although U-S and Israeli officials have been dropping hints they expect a quick settlement.
