U.S. Continues to Seek Syria’s Involvement in Mideast Peace Process

The Reagan Administration appears to be making a concerted effort to get Syria involved in the Middle East peace process, or at least agree not to continue trying to sabotage it.

“We hope that Syria can be helpful in the peace process,” Secretary of State George Shultz said at a State Department press conference on Friday. But Shultz conceded that Syria does not support the Administration’s basic requirement for a peace agreement — direct negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Shultz, however, said that Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, had some “very interesting and worthwhile discussions” during his recent visit to Syria.

Shultz’s remarks followed a statement by State Department spokesman Bernard Kalb on Thursday in which he said the United States hoped that Syria would join the peace process and stressed that it is U.S. policy that the future of the Golan Heights, not just the West Bank and Gaza, should be resolved through negotiations.

SEES CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS

At his press conference Friday, Shultz maintained that “there has been some very considerable progress” in the peace process. “I think the recognition all around that in the end direct negotiations has to be the way in which an answer is found is positive,” he said.

But when he was asked if he was including Syria, he said he was not, but was thinking about Jordan, Egypt, Israel and some “moderate elements” supporting them.

Shultz said another positive development is “the recognition that it’s the process that we need to get going rather than feeling that there has to be an end result preordained.”

“There isn’t any preordained outcome,” he said. “That’s the whole point of negotiations.”

However, Shultz said the problems remain of finding “what the right way is to represent Palestinians” on a joint delegation with Jordan and some “appropriate international context” for the negotiations.

RULES OUT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Secretary continued to rule out an international conference sought by King Hussein because it would include the Soviet Union. He said the USSR would first have to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, “examine the way it treats Jews in the Soviet Union” and “take a look at its emigration policy.”

Meanwhile, Shultz pointed out that the “bloodiest war” now in the Mideast is the war between Iran and Iraq “which we would like to see draw to an end.” He said the U.S. has urged its friends to stop supplying arms to Iran and if all countries, including the Soviet Union, ended their arms supplies to the two countries “perhaps we can see a resolution to that war.”