Israel and Syria are reportedly near agreement on the nature of security arrangements that would be implemented as part of a peace treaty between the two countries.
With ambassadors form the two countries in their second week of negotiations in Washington, Israeli officials sounded optimistic about the talks, which had long been stalled.
The Syrians, however, were less upbeat.
On Tuesday, Israeli officials said that two sides had reached oral understandings that would serve as the basis for future talks on military arrangements, according to Israeli news reports.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres echoed that appraisal Wednesday, saying that he was optimistic that the two sides could agree on the principles of security arrangements by the end of this week.
“There is some argument over the phrasing”, of security arrangement, Peres told reporters, adding, “Maybe we can find a common language, which will open the way for negotiations between officials.”
But the official media in Syria charged Israel with painting too promising a picture of the talks in Washington.
The daily Al-Ba’ath, the official organ of Syria’s ruling Ba’ath Party, said Wednesday that it expected the Washington talks with Israel to remain deadlocked because Israel has not changed its position on withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
It also dismissed earlier reports that Syria was planning to evict from its soil 10 radical organizations that stand opposed to the peace process.
In addition, both Israel and Syria dismissed a report in the The Washington times earlier this week, which stated that President Clinton had made secret promises to Syrian President Hafez Assad to take Damascus off the U.S. list of states that support terrorism in return for its renewing peace talks with Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to Washington Itamar Rabinovich resumed negotiations with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, in Washington on March 20 after Assad abruptly broke off the negotiations in December.
Top military officials from both countries had participated in the december talks, and may rejoin the negotiations, which cover security arrangements on the Golan Heights when and if the two sides reach an agreement.
Dennis Ross, the Clinton administration’s special coordinator on the Middle East, is due in Jerusalem and Damascus ass early as next week to help move the process forward.
Meanwhile, in Cairo, visiting Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said he discussed new ideas Wednesday to revive the Middle East peace process at a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Kozyrev would not elaborate on his proposals, but said he would present them to Syrian leaders when he goes to Damascus, the next stop on a Middle East tour that also includes visits to Israel and Lebanon.
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