2009
"In the past, there were different European stances. Today, during our meetings with European officials who have visited Syria, particularly foreign ministers, we noticed that the differences and disparities between the European countries' stances towards these issues have become very little. We want to move from this unified viewpoint in Europe to action. We want Spain to move because the new European atmosphere helps such a move. The vision towards the problem is close but we have to reach solution,"
From H.E.'s Press Conference in Spain, (July 5, 2010)
''I have discussed talked with His Excellency the Chancellor about an inter-European dialogue as to move towards the peace; so that there would be a clear-cut, united, objective, and realistic European role as far as the Process of the Peace.''
From His Excellency's Conference with Chancellor Faymann, (December 23, 2009)
''Yes, France can play an important role. They should defend the mediator role of Turkey, and persuade Israel to return to the negotiating table, with the Turkish mediator. We discussed this with President Sarkozy and we think he is able to [help] within the framework of his relations with Israel.''
From His Excellency's France 2 TV Interview, (November 15, 2009)
''I think that both sides-Syria and EU- are not yet ready for this Association. For us, and from the administrative and economic side, we are badly in need for some development; so as to make the disadvantages less; not to mention the fact that the European subsidy in the proposal does not suffice to support us in the process of development. Further, there are some technical aspects in the Agreement, upon which we do not agree. The Syrian Government, however, are now studying this Agreement; and are to put the things which the Government believe should exist, and are not existed, and then these points are to be presented to the European Commission.''
From His Excellency's Le Figaro Interview, (November 13, 2009)
''We always speak of a European role as far as the Causes of the Middle East. France, historically taking the political leading role in Europe, has to move as far as Mideast Peace,''
From His Excellency's Le Figaro Interview, (November 13, 2009)
''The priority for Syria in her relations with Europe is to the standing and continued cooperation, and not for the Association Agreement (AA), which has a legal and technical aspect in need for discussion and big improvement. Syria, in line with her National Interest, is to re-study the said (AA) as to define her demands to be re-submitted anew to the European Side,''
From His Excellency's Press Statements during His Visit to Croatia, (October 28-29, 2009)
''Nothing is worst than signing an agreement which does not serve the interest of the country and our interests. A solution for a few years crisis should in way be at the expense of 200 years to come,''
From His Excellency's Press Statements during His Visit to Croatia, (October 28-29, 2009)
'Europe, due to history and geography, is more capable of comprehending our Arab Causes, and hence the realization of the Just and Comprehensive peace in the Middle East would be positively reflected upon Europe, as well as upon the world.''
From His Excellency's Press Statements during the Visit of President Demetris Christofias of Cyprus to Syria, (August 31, 2009)
“The role of Europe has two aspects; the first is related to dialogue with Arab States as far as peace process, especially with the States concerned directly with the Process of Peace, and Syria is one of these States. The Second aspect is related to dialogue between the United States and Europe regarding peace process, that the United States is the sponsor of this process,”
From His Excellency’s Statements during Slovakia visit, (April 29, 2009)
“The required is the presence of inter European dialogue as to define whether Europe wants to be a partner in the course of events in the Middle East or to listen what the US Administration declares,”
From His Excellency’s Statements during Austria visit, (April 28, 2009)
“The question that I asked every politician from Europe I met during the last two years, especially after 2005 when Europe was busy with the EU constitution and many new member states: When does Europe deal with the rest of the world as EU and when as individual countries? It was not clear what Europe wanted, not from us, but from Europe herself. Because when you discuss something sometimes they say we are EU, we cannot be individual. And sometimes they do the opposite. So, for us Europe was lost for many years. What about the EU itself? It is not clear for us. Second what about the relations between Europe and the United States. We know and accept that the role of Europe should be complimentary to the United States not contradictory, but not as a satellite. Most of the European countries were satellites somehow to the previous administration. So why do I deal with somebody who cannot play any role? This is another question. So, this is a big problem in the European Union's, let us say, identity, I mean political identity. That is why it was difficult for us to deal with Europe on a sustainable bases. So, Europe should define its role, its relation with the United States, and of course with the rest of the world, that time they can define their role with us. We cannot accept some double standards used by Europe during the previous administration of the United States, just to appease the American administration. It is not acceptable. So it is about, first of all, dialogue between Europe and Europe, between the European countries, then between Europe and the United States, then they can make dialogue with the rest of the world including the Arabs and the Middle-East.”
From His Excellency’s Interview with the Austrian Der Standard, (April, 18, 2009)
“The reports are developing positively. In fact, they have started slow in 2006 after Lebanon War. Now, they have been geared up especially after Gaza War, Such opening up, however, remains, within the frame of the talk about the role of Europe. We have to wait for the US Administration to define its policies, and we have, then, to wait so that Europe would define whether to be a united Europe or a group of countries.”
From His Excellency Al-Khaleej Newspaper Interview, (March 9, 2009)
2008
“We have also discussed the European role that has been taking a more active drive during the few past months; where I voiced our satisfaction in Syria regarding this role played by the European countries. We view this visit from a bilateral respective as well as from EU Perspective.”
From His Excellency joint press conference with President Basescu of Romania (October 20, 2008)
“We are interested in having the beginning for divergence between the European role and the US role, such as what we are observing as far as the dealing with presented issues; we want to see a European official telling us that we have the right to restore our land fully
From His Excellency Interview given to the Iranian TV (September 17, 2008)
“We insisted that the political aspect should be one of the basic factors in the Union for the Mediterranean. The priority for us is peace; no real economic cooperation is to be achieved without peace”
From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)
“We insisted that the political aspect should be one of the basic factors in the Union for the Mediterranean. The priority for us is peace; no real economic cooperation is to be achieved without peace”
From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)
2005
"The French people have a great history, distinguished from the histories of other peoples, even in Europe itself. This has given the French people a special culture, an open culture, which has reflected on French politics and gave an important role to France in Europe, in the world at large, and in the Middle East in particular. President Charles De Gaulle also added a great deal to this French position. This role is in fact receding today, as I said a short while ago, and seems sometimes invisible, sometimes inexistent, and sometimes subordinate to other roles. This has never happened in the history of the French role before, and could have many political causes, and may be other causes that need to be examined. But the net result is that this harms the interests of the French people first of all, the interests of Europe and the world, and our interests in the Middle East. We cannot actually separate the interests of Europe now from the Middle East, and the evidence is what happened in the past: 9/11 in New York, the Madrid explosions, the London explosions, what is happening in Indonesia, and what is happening in the Palestinian territories."
From HE’s Interview with France3 TV, (December 5, 2005)
2004
“Syria has reached an understanding to establish the association agreement once the obstacles to it have been bypassed, especially those regarding weapons of mass destruction. where we reached a joint formula that goes parallel to our stance concerning non-proliferation of those weapons as part of our joint aim in turning the whole Middle East region into an area free of WMD.”
From HE’s Speech to the Syrian Expatriates Conference, (October 9, 2004)
“We think that the formula which we agreed on has been circulated to the EU member states, .and we are waiting for the approval from those states unless sudden changes in the EU has occurred as what happened with us in the same negotiations at the beginning of the year.”
From HE’s Speech to the Syrian Expatriates Conference, (October 9, 2004)
"Syria has always called for such a role- European role- ;but it is very clear in practice that Europe has no effective tools. Some attribute the affair to the economic reasons and others to political causes. But I say there is , in addition to both attributions, another cause which is the political will. The European role is marketing the American proposals, especially in the ME peace process. Any initiative ,if we want to call it a European one should be derivative from European vision
From HE’s Interview with Al Jazeera, (May 3, 2004)
2003
“The Syrian-European partnership within the circumstances of the whole world was made within the great blocs taking place in the world. It, like any other options, includes negative and positive aspects. Its negative aspects might be more than its positive aspects in the short run. It may not bring positive aspects except through the medium and long run. Engagement into the European partnership is an old decision, and reasons of delay are technical and not political. Taking a decision in this respect, has no relation with the Syrian-American bilateral relationship. It is an independent subject. I have told the Europeans that if partnerships were not based on appropriate base, we would exchange problems in stead of goods. I said, during my meeting with Mr. Romano Prodi before September 11, that if you don't solve the region's political and economic problems, the problems will move to you intensively in a short period.”
From HE’s Interview with Al-Hayat Daily , (November 7, 2003)
“The European countries whether they are big or small can play a role in the world through bilateral relations or through the European Union and so the harmonious stances of the EU countries intensify the effectiveness of the European stances which is imperative because the world can not let one country think on behalf of all.” “The European countries should not be divided by their stances although the variety of opinions is acceptable and the interaction between Europe and the Middle East has given the European countries an important and positive role to play in the world.”
From HE’s Interview with the Austrian The Standard Daily , (April 3, 2003)
2002
“I say that there was a big problem at one point in the world particularly between East and West. The West has devoted all the media and all technological means in order to define the East but it didn’t use all these resources in order to get to know the East as it is. And so the East knew a lot about the West but the opposite is not true. The first message I carry with me is to try and introduce the East to the West and to introduce Arab issues as they really are and not just to Italy because Italy is a close country that probably knows the East better than any other European country. But it is an important entrance to Europe also. Without this accurate understanding of the West to the East, we can’t really speak about a healthy role that Europe can play. This takes us to the second part of the question: Can Europe with the US play the role? I think they can, certainly they can. But this is subject first to the desire of these parties and to their ability of those entrusted with this role, and second it is also dependent on their accurate knowledge of the situation. And third, it is subject to the desire of the conflicting parties in this role and their trust in the cosponsors. I can say in the name of all the Arab parties, that there is a trust in the European Union, they trust the European Union. And it is clear for everyone that Israel rejects the European role. The reason is that the European stand is an objective one, the fact that Israel doesn't like. What is clear until now is that the United States doesn't desire Europe to play a role that is expressive of a European independent stand and of a European identity. Until now the role that had been given to Europe by the United States is to market American ideas, but has not yet been allowed to play a role of its own making. But even the American Administration doesn't have a clear vision of how to conduct this peace process. Thereof I can’t see that the circumstances are prepared for this role to be played unless Europe wants to play this role in an independent fashion, and this would have its own prerequisites.”
From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)
"I feel that this communication and contact are very important with the entire world, and I could see that Europe is entitled to play a very important role in that regard. Of course, the southern European countries are more capable of playing this role. I meant the Mediterranean countries of course, as I said, due to the similar social nature and the historical relations also. "
From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)
2001
“Europe's basic role is embodied in pressuring the side which refuses UN Security Council resolutions and the international legitimacy resolutions.”
From HE’s Press Conference with the Spanish Premier, (May 3, 2001)
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