“We still see the motto of peace used as part of the domestic political game in Israel, as a fundamental element of the foreign political maneuvers whirlpool, which hides of facts more than shows,”
From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)
“Peace has never been the basic preoccupation for the Israelis; their preoccupation, however, is security with its bottle-necked meaning, and which is, as far as their vision, not to be realized but at the expense of Arabs’ security and rights.”
From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)
“It is necessary in this stage to restore matters into their due course; it is neither acceptable nor logical from now on that Arabs are to continue presenting proofs and evidences in demonstration of the Arabs’ desire in peace, the desire we have announced and expressed on different many occasions, and for many decades, especially since the convening of Madrid Conference in 1991.”
From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)
“The Israelis have to provide proofs and to express through deeds their willingness for peace; they have to convince us, the Arabs, with this; hence they occupy our territories, launch aggression against our people, and displace the millions of our families,”
From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)
“The Israelis have been carrying out all of these things and using them as a mask to get the more of yielding; they, however, are never to get any yielding from Syria.”
From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)
“The indirect talks with Israel have not yet reached any result. We are at the beginning of the road, and the halt in the negotiations was caused by the ministerial crisis. We need to wait for a stabilization of the domestic situation in Israel. As for the intentions ascribed to the Israeli officials, we can’t take them into consideration since they say one thing and do something other than what they promise. Our experience tells us that we have to wait and see what they’re going to do. Will the new prime minister be in favor of negotiations on the basis that we have previously agreed on and which stipulate the full return of the Golan Heights, or will there be new conditions for these negotiations? When a new premier is elected we will see.”
From His Excellency Monday Morning Interview, (September 30, 2008)
“They are only restricted to the defining of the principles which might govern the direct negotiations. Thus, the indirect talks are like preliminary contacts that might, if agreement were to be reached to, launch the direct negotiations, which need the more of efforts and time.”
From His Excellency intervention at the Syrian National Progressive Front Meeting (September 23, 2008)
“I would like to make it clear that what is taking place now is not negotiations with the full meaning of negotiations; it is similar to what happened before Madrid Conference in 1991; when the then US Secretary of State, James Baker, shuttled between Syria and Israel as to lay down the bases for the direct negotiations launched in Madrid Conference,”
From His Excellency Interview given to the Iranian TV (September 17, 2008)
“Following four rounds of negotiations, the fifth round was due to be held. However, the resignation of the Israeli delegation big negotiator has led to the postponement of this round, which was due to decide the course of these negotiations,”
From His Excellency Statements at the Quartet Damascus Summit (September 4, 2008)
“There were points presented by Israel, there is the line of withdrawal presented by Syria. We have defined 6 points in this subject, and posted them as a deposit to the Turkish negotiator. Once Israel would give points by its side to the Turkish side, our positive response to the presented principles from Israel would be deposited to the Turkish side. Then, we would move forward to the direct negotiations once a new US Administration convinced with the process of peace would be there.”
From His Excellency Statements at the Quartet Damascus Summit (September 4, 2008)
“We need the support of all countries, basically France, Qatar, and Turkey, so that we would be secured that the coming prime minister of Israel would pursue the way which Olmert pursued through the willingness as to fully withdraw from the occupied territories, so that peace would be achieved.”
From His Excellency Statements at the Quartet Damascus Summit (September 4, 2008)
“We have asked, in this phase – of the negotiations- President Sarkozy to support the phase of the indirect negotiations, hence they are the only way for direct negotiations,”
From His Excellency Statements in a joint press conference with President Sarkozy of France (September 3, 2008)
“We can not construct a building without the presence of strong foundations. Currently, we are in the stage of laying the foundation stones down; that means firstly confidence among the parties of the peace process, and secondly the basics and terms of reference, upon which direct negotiations to depend. Once we have prepared these factors or elements, we would be able to move forward to the direct negotiations, which need the presence of the United States of America, along with the other parties participating in sponsoring the process of peace. Then, we can say that the sponsors of the peace process are the USA, France, Turkey, of course, as a fundamental country, and any other country interested; this is a very good thing to have the number of the countries interested in the process of peace increased.”
From His Excellency Statements in a joint press conference with President Sarkozy of France (September 3, 2008)
“Moving from indirect to direct peace negotiations with Israel depends on how much Israel and Syria are serious,”
From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)
“Once the occupied land is returned, naturally, a peace agreement is to be signed. We talk of the just band comprehensive peace on all the tracks of peace: the Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian. Such a peace on these tracks is the peace which would achieve the real peace among people following the signature of an accord.”
From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)
“Syria has always been for peace, worked and would work in the future for the realization of the just and comprehensive peace. The problem, however, is that during the latest years, the current US Administration has been paying no interest for the launching the process of peace.”
From His Excellency Statements in India (June 18th, 2008)
“First of all, as you said, Syrian land is occupied by Israel so they have to give us back our land. We don't have something to give but we have something to achieve together, which is peace. It is not something we have. So, if both sides achieve a certain treaty, including giving back the Golan Heights, this means achieving peace. The other thing besides the land is discussing normal relations, water, security arrangements and all these details that are related to the concept of peace. As I said, it is something we achieve together, but Israel has the land and should give it back.”
From His Excellency Indian Daily, the Hindu Interview (June 12th, 2008)
“The Israelis have been talking about negotiations without pre-conditions. So, they cannot ask for conditions for the negotiations, and they have not asked either. This is first. Second, Hamas is related to the Palestinian Track and we are talking about the Syrian track; we are not responsible for that track. Hizbollah is part of the Lebanese track and we are not in Lebanon today. So, we are only talking about the Syrian track. This is our position.”
From His Excellency Indian Daily, the Hindu Interview (June 12th, 2008)
"Syria is not against direct negotiations. We have agreed to them since the [1991] Madrid Middle East Peace Conference... whenever the atmosphere was appropriate for direct negotiations," "Success of the negotiations depends on the Israeli side and is related to the capability of the Israeli government and its stability to achieve this success,", "We have explained our vision for peace and are waiting for the Israeli response. However, our earlier experience in negotiations with Israel was not encouraging, and what Syria is doing now is making sure that Israel is ready for peace,"
From His Excellency Statements during His UAE Visit (June 3rd, 2008)
“ We have dealt with peace mediation efforts with the same approach; you come to talk about mediation, and I tell you these are my rights. Only through this way, we can start peace negotiations with certain basics, certain prerequisites; we do not call them conditions, but prerequisites. Without these different points, it would be a waste of time. We need a clear-cut announcement by Olmert that he wants peace, second, that Olmert would present to the Turkish mediator: Erdogan- the Turkish Premier, that he was prepared to return the Golan. If Olmert was not prepared to return the Golan, there is no need to talk about this topic. “, “ The direct negotiations need a sponsor, which is only the United States. Unfortunately, the current US Administration doesn’t possess neither the vision nor the will for peace process.”
From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily (April 27th 2008)
“ The basic role in the peace process is for the US because of its relation with Israel; not because it is stronger or weaker; but because the US has strong relations with Arab sides, and further stronger with Israel. There is a need for a party to exert pressure on Israel, or to influence it in the peace process. Russia can not play this role today, neither could play it in the past.”
From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily (April 27th 2008)
“ No success whatsoever is to take place in light of the Israeli intransigency. When Lavrov- the Russian Foreign Minister- visited Syria, he was not clear regarding the content of such a conference. It is not suffice to talk about the conference; what does a conference mean? Is it to meet around the table? What is important is the content. So far, we have received nothing regarding the content; we are not sure about the convening date of such a conference. The problem is not only the Israeli intransigency; but is within the US Administration, which has a big saying to this effect. So far nothing clear before us as to make us optimistic, though we have backed whatever conference to be convened in Moscow considering its credibility with Arabs as far as the cause of peace. Would Moscow be allowed to succeed? We do not trust neither Israel, nor the US.”
From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily (April 27th 2008)
“ Syria avails every opportunity as to reiterate her willingness for the establishment of the just and comprehensive peace in implementation for the related international legitimacy resolutions.”" The principle for Syria is to reject whatever talks or secret contacts with Israel whatever they might be. Syria is to declare for the public opinion -every peace-related- issue. The criterion for accepting whatever talks that they should be characterized with seriousness in commitment to the United Nations resolutions, especially when the Israeli side knows very well what is accepted by Syria and what is not .”
From His Excellency Speech at the Ba’ath Arab Socialist Party Central Command Meeting (April 20th 2008)
“If wars and occupations were to be among the most dangerous issues we have encountered last decades, the battle of peace was of no less importance; we ,all, have realized ,from long years , the importance of peace; and expressed this from more than three decades out of our belief in just and comprehensive peace, and our willingness to achieve peace, passing through Madrid Conference in 1991, reaching to the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, which was a clear-cut expression for our intention as Arab countries together to achieve peace, if Israel were to express the real willingness to this effect.”
From His Excellency Opening Speech of 20th Arab Summit (March29th 2008)
“Though of every thing we have made, and if the Israeli aggressive behaviour through all of its history is to be put aside; how was the Israeli instant response for this Initiative ? Israel overran the West Bank, imposed siege on the Palestinians, killed the children and women; we all remember Jenin Massacre and the hundreds of martyrs. Israel, further, continued to build the more of settlements, erected the racial discrimination wall, followed that with aggression against Syria and Lebanon, and pursued its political assassinations, worked without a halt as to push the Israeli public opinion towards the more of extremism and intransigency against Arabs, rejecting to respond for the requirements of the just and comprehensive peace; all of this takes place before the eyes of world and its incapacity to take a decisive active stance as to derail it from its actions, and under the title of guaranteeing the security of Israel, as a pretext propagated for by Israel and who support it to justify its aggressive actions! Apart from the concept of a unilateral security, as if the security of Arabs was not to be considered, which proves the aggressive viewpoint against Arabs, individuals and states; We underline that the security is never to be realized but through the peace; and not through aggression and wars which would bring but the more of suffering. The peace is never to be realized but through the withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, the restoration of the rights in full. That is to say, the Israeli concept of security first is not realizable, because the occupation contradicts both the security and peace. If the security was not to be mutual including the Arab side, it- security- remains but an illusion never existent; save that when those who have this view- security first- were to suppose or were to be in waiting from the owners of the land to surrender to the occupation, or the for the free to accept being transformed into slaves! Considering the experience of history, such logic is defeated; even if it was to exist during some moments, it is but temporary and tricky to be followed only with the more of wars, destructions and blood.”
From His Excellency Opening Speech of 20th Arab Summit (March29th 2008)
“Peace, however, would never be realized without the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian Arab People, in particular the establishment of its independent State with Jerusalem as the capital and the return of the refugees. It is important to point out that the consolidation of the Palestinian National Unity and the resort to dialogue and interaction would bolster the process of the Palestinian People toward the regaining of the rights. This is the responsibility to be shouldered by all; and Syria is to leave no stone unturned as to provide whatever needed to get this aim realized.”
From H. E. Press Statements in Turkey ( October 17, 2007)
" Trust is missing between us and the Israelis. This trust today, even if it a little bit existed previously, is frankly null. We trust the Turks , there is a reciprocal trust to a big extent between us; and we told the Turks that once we were to receive the said guarantees, we can by then say that the climate is prepared for peace. Then, we can talk with other forces, and especially with the USA, as to resume the negotiations. However, we are quite certain that this US Administration has never worked for peace."
" The Arab-Israeli conflict is a 60 year old one, has never been started by personal differences as to be concluded with personal-related matters statements; there are the basics and principles; and once the Israelis respond to these basics and principles , and the destiny of these rights, we can by then evaluate the Israeli stance. Every thing we have so far heard is but an oratory speech-tailored words away from the reality on the ground!"
From H. E. ’s Al Shirouq Daily Interview ( October 11, 2007)
" The opportunities for peace now do not exist in reality; for example, at the Palestinian level, there is a division. Peace needs national consensus first of all, which is not available. The US Administration lacks both the vision and the will for peace, Israel lacks at least the will; I do not know whether the vision exists or not; but the Israeli government is weak. A weak government can launch a war, but can never realize peace…. Unfortunately, the current Israeli government is unable to provide any guarantee for peace and the return of the rights…. Perhaps the issue of normalization stands behind the conference aim, or the issue of diverting the US public opinion or the western opinion from the issue of Iraq, where failure has been clear. They have been trying in vain to deal with the consequences of the failure in Iraq. Consequently, perhaps they have decided as to go for the peace process with the aim of realizing something, even illusive to present to the public opinion."
From H. E. ’s Al Shirouq Daily Interview ( October 11, 2007)
“From this point the Syrian keenness stems as to bolster the factors of her strength, Army and people, in all fields and at all levels; while seeking the just and comprehensive peace on the bases of the International Legitimacy resolutions and the principle of the land for the peace, working sincerely as to achieve this, in strong belief that the real peace is the guarantee for ending tension, serving justice to the rights, realizing security and stability for all of the region.”
From H. E. ’s Word to the Syrian Army and Armed Forces, (August 1, 2007)
“Our desire for peace in no way means the renunciation of our rights. Syria, leadership, people, and army, is never to accept but the restoration of the Golan fully to the borders of June 4, 1967. The liberation of our occupied land is the sacred duty, before being the legitimate right guaranteed by the international legitimacy and its affiliated organizations resolutions.”
From H. E. ’s Word to the Syrian Army and Armed Forces, (August 1, 2007)
“ We are firm to our stances and preparedness for the just and comprehensive peace on the basis of relevant International Legitimacy; ready for the resumption of peace negotiations on the basis of the principle of “ the land for peace”, and the full return of the Golan Heights to the line of June 4, 1967.”
From HE’s Second Presidential Term Inauguration Speech , ( July 17, 2007)
“ As to be assured that the negotiations will not be regarding the territory, hence the territory is to be restored fully, we negotiate other issues: define the line of June 4, 1967, on the map, discuss security arrangements, relations, as it happened during Rabin days,”
From HE’s Second Presidential Term Inauguration Speech , ( July 17, 2007)
"peace should be based on a number of factors and all parties should be ready to commit themselves to the terms of this peace since it was launched in Madrid 1991." "The achievement of peace also requires a fair sponsor who has interest to end tension in the region and has actual Will to tackle this issue… and this sponsor is not existed now,"
From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in 2007, ( May 15, 2007)
"We repeatedly denied any secret meetings because we reject this principle. The Syrian people support their government in the peace process and in negotiations… so there is no need to hide this matter behind," "We didn't charge anyone to negotiate on behalf of us… but we encourage any party to play a role, particularly countries which have respect and want to play a serious role and have credibility,"
From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in 2007, ( May 15, 2007)
"We told them you should come with all needed requirements of peace process… and when they proposed that Syria was ready for negotiations without preconditions, they started to say and write that Syria abandoned everything… we say no.. Resolutions 242 and 338 are not Syrian conditions, they are international resolutions which were not put by us... they are international conditions put in 1967,"
From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in 2007, ( May 15, 2007)
"It is illogic to say that peace process means to cancel all what we agreed upon and go backwards… the land is a base and we will not abandon it… it will be resorted completely," " there should be a fair sponsor that should work in light of UN Security Council resolutions… these are the requirements of peace, they are not conditions." "We don't want to foil the peace process, we are talking about requirements, not conditions… there are no Syrian conditions, but there are requirements and Syria will not relinquish those requirements," "peace to Syria is a strategy and her call to peace expresses willingness and efforts to restore the occupied lands and achieve security and stability to her people."
From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in 2007, ( May 15, 2007)
“Theoretically 80 percent of the issues were solved and what remained is 20 percent , and the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories doesn't need more than six months if the Israeli are honest toward the peace process .”
From HE’s Interview with the Kuwaiti Anba Daily , (October 7, 2006)
" It is a conditional peace with clear bases, but it is the speech of last opportunities…when I talked about generations, this mean that these doors which are opened now are narrowing, and by time we will not see these doors and the other rejecting part for peace which is' Israel ' has to exploit the subject."
From HE’s Interview with Dubai TV, (August 24, 2006)
"We are convinced that the natural way to achieve peace is through negotiations. But when this option fails, or when it is not available in the first place, resistance, in its different forms, is the alternative for restoring rights. Resistance is not necessarily or exclusively armed, it could be cultural or political or might take different forms of rejection. So, supporting resistance aims at achieving peace not war through deterring against aggression. If this does not work, it might be through war in order to liberate the land. Resistance is not contradictory to peace or an alternative for it. In our circumstances at least, it is necessary for the achievement of peace. Otherwise, the result will be that we will lose the battle of war and the battle for peace, particularly that Israel and those who stand behind it have shifted completely to adopting the military option based on pre-emptive war, while we the Arabs have remained in our place discoursing and negotiating with ourselves convinced of a promised peace with an illusory party which prepares itself on a daily basis for its next aggression on the Arabs ."
From HE’s Speech to Journalists Union 4th Conference, (August 15, 2006)
"The peace process between Syria and Israel that started in 1991. It is paralyzed now. We have daily blood shed in our region: in Iraq, in Palestine and in the occupied territories in Syria and Lebanon. They tried to make an embargo against Syria while they wanted us to help them in the security issues. They tried to prevent any kind of support from European countries to Syria. They work against the association between Syria and the E.U. They prevented even private companies from coming to Syria and helping in the development in our country."
From HE’s Interview with PBS US TV Network, (March 30, 2006)
"Israel has blocked all the roads to the Middle East peace process, not only because of the rejection by Israeli successive governments to respond to the peace requirement and continued denial of the Arab basic rights but also because the current international situation and influential power are not ready to push the peace process forward, as well as for the backing down of the international community to meet their obligation towards the peace process and stability in the region."
From HE’s Speech to Arab Lawyers, (January 21, 2006)
"This issue- Peace Process- has a number of facets, firstly the Israelis either on the government level or the people's level do not have any interest, nor there is any serious popular tendency toward the peace process, and this might be attributed to the circumstances in the past years, but of course such circumstances are not an excuse for them to break away from peace. Secondly there is Syria or other Arab parties which are involved in the peace process such as the Palestinians or the Lebanese, but this desire (for peace) has not changed at least for Syria. The issue of peace is still standing on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions."
From HE’s Interview with Turkish TV , (December 28, 2005)
"Since we have not talked today about resolutions 338 and 242 because they have become self evident for us, and because we know that we waste our time when we talk about the non-implementation of international legitimacy resolutions and the double standards and all that"
From a Speech by HE at Damascus University, (November 10, 2005)
"Well, let me start from the memoir of President Clinton, who mentioned that round in Shepherdstown [West Virginia, at a January 2000 summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa]. And he said Syria was ready to make peace and it was forthcoming toward peace, but Barak couldn't deliver. So we were ready in 2000, and we were ready in 1991, when the peace process launched in Madrid."
From HE’s Interview with CNN, (October 12, 2005)
"Of course Israel has been proposing that we should go back to the negotiations without any preconditions. Many of the delegations that visited Syria asked about the Syrian conditions. When we say we don’t have any conditions they are usually surprised. They say that Israel claims you have preconditions. Israel’s objective is to give the impression that it is prepared for peace but the problem is the conditions put by Syria. In actual fact Israel puts the condition of going back to square one. We talked about resuming negotiations from the point they had stopped. They want to go back to square one. We tell our international visitors: you want to achieve peace and at the same time you ask as to disagree about what we have already agreed on! This means lack of seriousness and lack of credibility, because every Israeli government comes and says that they are not responsible for what the previous Israeli government approved. We stress that we are prepared for negotiations without any preconditions in accordance with the Madrid terms of reference. In other words, we resume from the point we stopped at in the early 1990s."
From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in 2005, (March 5, 2005)
"Perdonate se sorrido. Detto ciò, per la Siria l'accordo con Israele è una scelta strategica. Sharon dice di non credere alla sincerità delle mie offerte, ma allora perché non verificare? I parametri della pace li conosciamo già. Basta sedersi e negoziare."
From HE’s Interview with the Italian La Repubblica, (February 28, 2005)
"The problem of the peace process now is that they (the Israelis) were escaping from the implementation of the Security Council resolutions to partial mysterious and unclear agreements that need explanation." For example, the Oslo accord. What is taking place in Palestine now is a result of Oslo. They had signed an unclear accord, without implementation. It did not include clear items. It was words only. Then came Wye River, then Tenet and Mitchell’s plans and now the Roadmap. The peace process needs one agreement not ten. Now after the Roadmap, they talked about the Geneva initiative. If you have the Madrid terms of reference why do you need all this? This is what we have repeatedly confirmed in Syria. They have put forward the Roadmap and many initiatives. We said no, there is Madrid conference, i.e., the implementation of the Security Council resolutions. The basic thing is to return to the Security Council resolutions firstly and to work out mechanism secondly. The natural mechanism is negotiations in order to start these negotiations and to have a proper mechanism, that is the role of the sponsor? How can we deal with a party which hampers the peace process? Israel hampered it and nobody in the world has done anything. When you feel that you can obstruct the peace process why do you walk towards peace? The world must make Israel or any other party implement the Security Council resolutions. It must implement these resolutions, otherwise, it will become isolated. This is our vision of the peace process. "
From HE’s Interview with the Chinese People daily, (June 21, 2004)
"Peace negotiations stopped in 1995 because of the assassination of Rabin. Following Rabin, Shimon Peres came to power and launched a war on Lebanon and perpetrated massacres, namely the Qana massacres, where more than 100 civilians were killed in a shelter. Peres lost the elections and then came Netanyahu who torpedoed the peace process because the principle of peace is land for peace, to restore land and take peace." Netanyahu said : "peace for peace". This means no land. Therefore, why do we establish peace if the land is not returned? " " Netanyahu went and Barak came. He talked about peace and we responded. Two rounds of negotiations were held in Shepherdstown in the US. He wanted to negotiate everything except land. As you know, the core of the peace process is land. He also ran away from the subject of peace for internal reasons. There was a pressure on him by the parties. In fact, he did not realize peace and did not succeed in elections. Sharon came after. He entered the holy Aqsa Mosque and killed the Palestinians. When he became Prime Minister, he began to kill and is still killing the Palestinians up to this day. The Israelis reject any proposal towards the peace process. As I said, the peace process returns when Israel admits that these lands must be returned completely according to the Security Council resolutions, i.e. to June 4th 1967 lines. This is the only solution. "
From HE’s Interview with the Chinese People daily, (June 21, 2004)
"There is an established right , there are the Security Council resolutions and there is a clear mechanism . We always say , we are ready for negotiations when the circumstances are proper in Israel."
From HE’s Interview with Al-Jazeera TV. Channel, (May 3, 2004)
"The principle of land-for-peace…. This principle is not clear or unacceptable to them. Their positions on eastern part of Tiberias Lake are still as they were. We refuse to negotiate any object unless there is an agreement on the basic principle," he said. On how Syria will deal with the Israeli Prime Minister-elect, the president said: " We will say to all those that are our conditions for peace… Whoever can implement them, we are ready to continue negotiating... We deal with realities not speculations."
From HE’s Interview with al-Sharq al-Wsat Saudi daily, (January 29, 2004)
"We have to identify a comprehensive vision that consist of a number of elements, and that would lead in the end to the establishment of peace. The first element is to identify the objective which is the establishment of peace between the two conflicting parties that have been in a state of conflict for a number of years. Also, if we want to speak about the road, it is to implement (U.N.) Security Council resolutions relevant to the peace process, particularly the principle of 'land for peace' which applies to resolutions 242 and 338. We have also to identify the tools and instruments in order to move on this road to peace. The instruments are negotiations as far as we are concerned. This is the available instrument for the achievement of the final objective of peace. So moving on this road needs tools and instruments in order to achieve peace. These instruments need some kind of calibration to achieve the desired objective. Calibration needs criteria.”
From HE’s Interview with Greek TV, (December 14, 2003)
"We started the peace process 13 years ago, and we have not achieved anything. One reason is that there are is no criteria. So, the instrument or the vision that we have is the one we agreed on in the Madrid Conference; we, as one party, and the other parties, the United Nations, the United States, and all countries of the world supported the Madrid Conference which possessed the instruments, the road, the objectives and the vision. We should reconsider the causes of the failure of the peace process; we should put new criteria and move on with confidence. Then we can achieve peace. This is the Syrian vision which we propose to the officials we meet to discuss the peace process.”
From HE’s Interview with Greek TV , (December 14, 2003)
"Some people say there are Syrian conditions, and my answer is no; we don't have Syrian conditions. What Syria says is this: negotiations should be resumed from the point at which they had stopped simply because we have achieved a great deal in these negotiations. If we don't say this, it means we want to go back to point zero in the peace process. This would also mean wasting a lot more time, and every day we waste more people are being killed and more violence erupts in the region"
From HE’s Interview with the New York Times, (December 1, 2003)
The basics are '' the full withdrawal from the occupied territories of 1967, the Palestinian State with east Jerusalem as its capital, the right of return" asserting that the initiative asserts " Arabs' desire for peace'' and exposes the '' Israelis who don't desire peace''. "The principle of the peace process is the land for peace. The land is an integrated one factor, either to be restored in full or to remain till it is to be fully restored. The second factor for Peace also consists of its components including, for example, the issue of water, relations, security arrangements including the disarmament of Mass destruction weapons and nuclear weapons which Israel possesses,"
From HE’s Speech before Beirut Arab Summit, (March 27, 2002)
" I am going to go back to the word conditions. Israel, in its statements with senior officials, always says we reject Syrian conditions. In fact, Syria has never set any conditions, and we always say that Syria does not have certain conditions at all. When Syria speaks about the bases for peace it refers to the necessity of implementing Security Council resolutions and Madrid terms of reference. These terms of reference were not invented by Syria, rather they were American ideas and they became international resolutions once they were approved by the international community. And due to the Arabs desire to reach a genuine peace, they adhered to these terms of reference. Hence, our conditions are the conditions of the international community and they stipulate the full return of the Syrian rights. The international community is the one who met in Madrid and decided what are the terms of reference for peace. Thus, the terms of reference are agreed upon by the international community and we are part of this international community and we do not live outside it. The entire world, with the exception of Israel, has supported these terms of reference. Israel is the only country that refuses to talk about Security Council resolutions and the United Nations, and it refuses to adhere to the international will. As an example for this, I shall mention that upon his return from Madrid conference, Yitzhak Shamir said to the journalists that he will make the peace process drag for ten years and this is actually what had taken place. Now, when we say we want negotiations, negotiations for us are the means and not the end in themselves. When we started negotiations in 1991, we started because we were convinced that peace is going to be achieved through an honest broker of the negotiations and through a true adherence to the terms of reference that were announced in Madrid. Ten years from that time we can say that the peace process has suffered an absolute failure. Is it possible to relaunch future negotiations without analyzing the reasons that had led to this failure and without avoiding these reasons? This means that we could go back ten years from now and say why did the peace process fail, and we would have wasted twenty years."
From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)
“We have stated and repeat that we want peace, and that we put no conditions on achieving it other than abiding by United Nations resolutions and the principle of land for peace. At the same time we shall not give up an inch of our territory or any of our rights, Syrian and Arab.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Greece President , (February 2, 2002)
“Just and comprehensive peace is attainable through the implementation of United Nations resolutions which call for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories to the line of 4th June, 1967, and recognition of the right of the Arab people of Palestine to their independent state with Jerusalem its capital, and repatriation of Palestinian refugees.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Greece President , (February 2, 2002)
“We seek support to the ranks of those who advocate peace in our region, and hope that the co-sponsors of the peace process, the European Union and the United Nations will comply with the requirements of ending aggression and restoring just and comprehensive peace in our region.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Greece President , (February 2, 2002)
"We in Syria had never been for war neither had viewed in it, whether for us or others, any interest; we do speak of peace hence it is the desire."
President Assad declared in a recent interview with the French ' Le Figaro', (June 23, 2001)
"We were very clear in dealing with peace issues, firm in our stands since the beginning of the peace process in Madrid in 1991; unlike the Israeli policy that fluctuated sometimes and put obstacles at other times. Until this very moment they did not give us any proof that invites confidence that they have a true and genuine desire to achieve peace. Rather they have been suggesting different versions in order to cover what they truly want to do so they ask us to be flexible and I think that they mean the territory should be flexible in order to press its borders and make it shrink in a way that suits their objectives or they send us missionaries who ask us to agree to a modified line of June 4 and ask us to call this modified line June 4, as if the difference is about naming the line. Or they suggest to give us 95% of our land and when we ask about the remaining 5% they say it is only a problem of few meters and this should not be an obstacle in the way of peace. If those few meters are not a problem and should not be an obstacle in the way of peace, then why they don't return to the June 4th lines and give us 5% of the territory west of the Lake? They have betted on many things; they have betted on the health of President al-Assad forgetting that national leaders who enter history enter it through the doors of their own countries and enter the world of eternity through the same door and never through concessions and giving up rights. They have betted on the military strength and were defeated in Lebanon. They have betted on our national unity and our people defeated this bet and now what are they going to bet on? The only betting that may succeed is to bet on the will of the people to return their rights through the return of their complete territories to the line of June 4, 1967. Only then we can proceed towards a just and comprehensive peace. We call upon the United States to play its full role as an honest broker and a cosponsor of the peace process. Pressure has to be exerted in order to implement the resolutions of international legitimacy with all the legitimate rights they dictate for the Lebanese, the Syrian and Palestinian people. "
From HE’s First Presidential Term Inauguration Speech ,( July 17, 2000)
"We would like to stress here that we have the urge to reach a state of peace but we are not ready to give up an inch of our territory nor do we accept our sovereignty to be impinged upon."
From HE’s First Presidential Term Inauguration Speech, ( July 17, 2000)
"Once Israel was to be able to offer genuine peace, a just and balanced peace deal was to be signed, there would be a recognition of Israel."
From HE’s Interview with the French Television, (June 22, 2001)
"The question of the land is a question of sovereignty and honor. The land (value) is not measured by economic or real estate considerations," adding that Syria will not give gifts of that sort and that US President Bill Clinton himself understands the "importance of this element for us.” "What is the relations of being in hurry to achieve peace or assign this position to this person or that? Incomplete peace does not serve any objective nor any person, whoever, to rule in the future.”
From HE’s Interview with Al-Wasat Magazine, (April 17, 2000)
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