Guardian: EU calls on Syria to help in Lebanon and Iraq

[Eugene]

1.15pm
EU calls on Syria to help in Lebanon and Iraq


Staff and agencies
Wednesday March 14, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, today urged Syria
to help stabilise Lebanon and Iraq during a visit that marked a
thaw in EU relations with Damascus.

Mr Solana said the EU supported Syria's long-held goal of
regaining the occupied Golan Heights after meeting its
president, Bashar al-Assad.

-snip-

The EU has avoided high-level contracts with Syria since the
assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafik
al-Hariri in 2005.

-snip-

While Syria's media has welcomed the country's apparent return
from the diplomatic cold - last week it also took part in security
talks in Iraq with the US and Iran, as recommended by the Iraq
Study Group - there is no evidence of a change in its basic
positions.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,2033723,00.html

[TheBaldyMan]

1. how come it took two years for this to happen?

Has Bush been leaning on the EU to try and starve the Middle East into submission?