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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Spanish FM in Syria for talks |
| 2006-10-15 |
| DAMASCUS - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who drew US criticism earlier this year for ignoring its efforts to sideline Syria, arrived in Damascus on an unannounced visit Saturday. Moratinos, who is also a former EU peace envoy to the region, was welcomed at the airport by his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem, an AFP correspondent witnessed. The Spanish minister was due to hold a news conference Sunday morning following talks with Syrian officials including President Bashar Al Assad but there was no immediate word on their agenda. In early August, during negotiations leading up to the UN truce resolution that brought an end to a month of fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Syrian-backed militants of Hezbollah, Moratinos travelled to Damascus for talks on the European UnionÂ’s behalf. That visit was the first by a senior Western official since MoratinosÂ’s previous trip in March, which drew strong US criticism at the time. |
| Posted by:Steve White |