Text of report by Qatari newspaper Al-Watan website on 19 July
[Unattributed report: "Within the Framework of an Agreement on a Mechanism for the Iranian Nuclear Programme, Damascus and Tehran Call for Making the Region Free of WMD"]
Informed diplomatic sources have said that Damascus and Tehran have agreed on a specified mechanism for their move regarding Iran's nuclear file. This agreement came during Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki's visit to Syria two days ago and his meeting with President Bashar al-Asad and his talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Mu'allim.
The sources pointed out that this mechanism stems from the need to move and call for making the Middle East a region free from weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. These sources affirmed to Al- Watan that the Syrian side suggested that it focuses its moves towards the French and European sides in order to finalize specified proposals to settle Tehran's nuclear file. The sources noted that, during his joint news conference with Foreign Minister Al-Mu'allim, Mottaki said that Tehran welcomes this Syrian role.
The sources draw the attention to the fact that the current French-European openness to Damascus gives Syria a strategic horizon in order to contribute to solving many of the regional crises. The sources indicated that the Syrian side views that the draft resolution which Damascus has submitted to the UNSC in 2003 to make the Middle East free of WMD is still suitable to be a political and legal base for solving the [crisis] of the Iranian nuclear file, especially since there is a clear and frank call for subjecting Israel's nuclear installations to monitoring and inspection by the IAEA.
In the meantime, Syria proposes getting rid of all the WMD of all countries, including the Israeli nuclear weapons, if the international community wanted to find radical solutions to this issue.
The French president is expected to resume urging Syria to play an active role in solving the crisis of the Iranian nuclear file during his forthcoming visit to Damascus next September. The Syrian side is attaching a paramount importance to this visit to continue the discussion of the big files that were reviewed during President Bashar al-Asad's recent visit to Paris.
Originally published by Al-Watan website, Doha, in Arabic 19 Jul 08.
(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Story Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East
