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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 December 1999 Issue No. 460 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 December 1999 Issue No. 460
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Debate Focus Profile Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters New warmth for old allies
By Dina EzzatEgypt and Syria appear poised to turn a new leaf in their relations following months of mutual misgivings. High-level consultations are expected to take place in the near future to revive the close alliance between the two countries.
"Having my brother, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, here in Damascus is an important proof of Egyptian support for Syria in the peace process," Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Shara'a told reporters following talks with Moussa on Sunday. And, in the first warm statement about bilateral relations in months, Al-Shara'a added: "When Egypt supports Syria in the peace process, this means that most, if not all, Arab countries are on the side of Syria."
The statement was welcomed by Egyptian officials who believe that the Syrians are now ready to inch closer towards Cairo following months of what they describe as "unjustified" Syrian disappointment with Egypt's heavy involvement in the Palestinian track of negotiations. Damascus argues that the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations should have been conducted in a different fashion, and at a different pace, so that Israel may not take a hawkish position in the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.
For its part, Cairo has been disappointed with Syria's failure to endorse an Egyptian effort to organise ministerial-level, if not summit, consultations between Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinians, Jordan and Egypt on future moves in the peace process. It remains to be seen whether the Syrians will come around to this plan, now that all the parties are talking to Israel.
"We spoke of the need for Arab coordination at this crucial and sensitive juncture for the region," Moussa said, following his talks with Al-Shara'a. He would not, however, discuss the prospects of a meeting that would bring together the Arab parties involved in the peace process.
It seems that whether this meeting will materialise largely depends on what will happen in the Syrian-Israeli talks, which were scheduled to resume yesterday in Washington, as well as developments along the Palestinian track.
But whether this meeting becomes a reality will not be a make-or-break factor in Egyptian-Syrian relations since both Moussa and Al-Shara'a have vowed to maintain close bilateral consultations.
Moreover, Moussa told reporters that Cairo was prepared to host future rounds of Syrian-Israeli talks, depending on the wish of the two sides.
Sources say that the Syrians would prefer to keep the negotiations in the United States to ensure maximum US involvement. They note that Syria agreed to a resumption of negotiations after it received guarantees from Washington, as well as from President Bill Clinton personally.
Even if the talks are relocated to the Middle East, they will not necessarily be coming to Egypt because Jordan has already set up a camp in Umm Qais, a point along the Jordan-Syria-Israel border, to host the negotiations. Should this prove to be the site of future talks, it would be a way for the Syrians, Israelis and Americans to reward Jordan for its effort to restart the negotiations by carrying messages back and forth between Tel Aviv and Damascus. Indeed, Jordan may be more acceptable to the Israelis, who often complain about Cairo's uncompromising position in regional peacemaking.
It is unlikely that relocating future talks to Jordan will harm Syrian-Egyptian relations because the two countries appear determined to avoid any future rift. "If the Arabs cannot be completely united at this juncture, the minimum is that they should not be totally divided," said an Egyptian diplomat.
In fact, one important future task for Egyptian diplomacy will be to offer public support for the Syrian negotiating position. Moreover, Egypt needs to lobby Arab support for the Syrians. "This is what we call the 'safety net' that needs to be provided for the Syrian negotiator," said a diplomatic source.
Meanwhile, Egyptian-Syrian cooperation on other fronts seems poised for a fresh start. A joint committee, headed by the prime ministers of the two countries, is scheduled to convene in Damascus after the Muslim holiday season ends in mid-January. And as the Syrians move towards a settlement with Israel, they will also be moving towards a more open economic policy that should make abundant room for cooperation with Egypt.
But the real test of this new warmth is whether or not Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad pays a visit to Egypt that he has been putting off since it was announced by Cairo about six months ago. The alternative is for Al-Assad to send his son, Bashaar, who apparently is being prepared to take over in a post-settlement arrangement.
