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Submitted by ctv_en_3 on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 10:25
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting the leaders of Syria, Turkey and Qatar in a bid to boost efforts towards Middle East peace.

Mr Sarkozy is on a two-day trip to Damascus, also aimed at cementing revived ties between France and Syria.


France, which currently holds the EU presidency, hopes to boost mediation efforts in Middle East.


Syria's president Bashar al-Assad said the "Summit for Stability" would lay the basis for possible direct talks with Israel. He added that the summit seeks to draft a declaration of principles that would form a basis for direct peace talks between Syria and Israel.


At the session was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has mediated four rounds of indirect Israeli-Syrian talks since May.


The fourth corner of the table was taken by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and his prime minister, Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, who helped broker an internal peace deal in Lebanon, also in May.


Mr Assad said Syria had been waiting for "a fifth crucial round of talks to determine the evolution of these negotiations", but the process had been put on hold because of political changes in Israel.


Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced his resignation and his Kadima party is holding elections on 17 September for a new leader.



VOVNews/BBC

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