| Posted By Emma Sabry September 15, 2008 Ever since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri in 2005, Syria has faced diplomatic isolation, even though it strongly denies charges it was behind the killing. In addition to Hariri’s murder, Syria has been isolated by major Western powers over its relations with Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as its close ties to Iran -- all opponents of U.S. policy in the Middle East. But now French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU Presidency, is taking steps to bring Syria out of isolation and boost efforts to get Damascus to talk directly with Israel.
Mr Sarkozy, who is determined to position France as a driving force in the Middle East, argues that it’s necessary to engage in dialogue with Damascus because of its influential role in the region. According to an article on the BBC, Syria's acceptance of a Lebanon peace agreement in May and its decision to establish diplomatic relations with its smaller neighbour were key factors in determining the warmer ties with France. Sarkozy’s visit to Damascus last week has been warmly welcomed by the Syrians.
Samir Taqi, the director of the Sharq Centre for Strategic Studies in Damascus, says Mr Sarkozy's step is very significant both for Syria and the Middle East as a whole. "It indicates that Europe and mainly France is realising the importance of cooling down the crisis in the region, to attempt to talk to everybody, trying to seek reconciliatory solutions for the Arab Israeli conflict, Lebanon, Iraq and the Iranian file, "This French visit is very much needed and is a landmark in the history of the whole Middle East," he said. Peace prospects in the region have been the focus of the Sarkozy’s trip. On the second day of his visit, the French president along with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met the leaders of Qatar and Turkey to try to lay the groundwork for direct talks between Syria and Israel. Syria demands the full return of the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Face-to-face talks between both parties collapsed in 2000 because of disagreement over the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan. But the two countries are currently engaged in indirect talks under Turkish mediation. After meeting his French counterpart, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the talks were "frank and constructive" and focused on Mideast stability and the indirect contacts with Israel. He said the indirect negotiations were the "only way" toward future face-to-face talks, which he said would "need the presence" of the U.S. and others. Analysts say any steps in the peace process are likely to be tentative until the weak leadership in Israel is replaced by a more stable one and a new American president is elected. Syria has in the past slammed the Bush administration and said he was waiting for a new White House administration that could sponsor the talks. Sarkozy also wants to woo Syria away from the fold of Iran, which the U.S. and European allies suspect of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, despite Tehran’s insistence that its atomic program is peaceful. The French president also backs a go-between role for Damascus to bring across Western demands on Tehran. Assad, who recently visited Tehran, has pledged to work towards finding a peaceful solution to the issue, warning that any attack against Iran would be catastrophic. "We hope to reach a resolution to this problem. No one in the world can bear the consequences of any non-peaceful resolution because it will be a catastrophe," Assad said. While Mr Sarkozy's visit is a sign of improved relations with Syria, he will now be under pressure from his Western allies to show that engagement with Damascus works. For their part the Syrians will have to decide how far they are willing to move on peace talks with Israel, their ties to Iran and their relations with Lebanon, all of which will be closely watched by major Western powers. | 
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