Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) – US-Syrian relations were at the centre of the meeting that took place this morning between US House Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, IRNA news agency reported.
Ms Pelosi, who arrived yesterday at the helm of a bipartisan delegation of 27 democratic and republican congressmen, has already met Vice President Faruq al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem.
She told Syrian officials to end Syria’s interference in Iraq and Lebanon, stopping terrorists from crossing into the two countries, and halt its support for Hamas and Hezbollah, a US delegation member is reported as saying.
US President Bush criticised Ms Pelosi's trip to Syria for sending "mixed signals" that undermine US-led efforts to isolate the Syrian president.
The United States withdrew its ambassador to Damascus in 2005 following the attack that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri which many have blamed on Syria.
“Pelosi's visit won't be enough to remove all obstacles in the form of normalising American-Syrian relations, but we believe that the dialogue she is conducting in Damascus is very important,” government newspaper Tishreen said, which added that “Syria is part of the solution, not of the problem, whether in Lebanon, Iraq or the Middle East peace process.”
Syrian officials said Damascus wants to help Washington achieve an "honourable withdrawal" from Iraq but in return the United States must press Israel to return the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV network reported.