Mending fences

France and now Germany have decided if they can't beat 'em, they will let them join, notes Bassel Oudat from Damascus

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Slowly but surely, Europe is edging closer to Syria. European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pottering, who is planning a visit to Damascus next month, told reporters that Syria "is a key country in the Middle East and a major partner in the peace process". He is not the only one to think so. Last week, Syria played host to Iceland's Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Gisladottir and German Foreign Ministry Middle East coordinator Andreas Michaelis. For the moment, Europe's overtures to Syria are still of an exploratory nature. And Western sources say that Damascus has some way to go to prove its willingness to cooperate on various regional issues.

It's a message that the Syrians are taking to heart. Syrian Vice-President Farouk Al-Sharaa recently told Hizbullah- run Al-Manar television that Syrian- European relations were "going into a new phase".

In mid-2004, Syrian-French relations took a turn for the worst after the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri. But French attempts to ostracise Syria did not stop Damascus from trying to stay in Europe's good books. Syrian officials, civil society representatives and businessmen continued to exchange visits with their German, Italian, and Spanish counterparts.

Syria also managed to keep its economic relations with European countries going. And many Europeans preferred to contain rather than to isolate Syria, a country they know has considerable influence in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine.

Economic and commercial exchanges between Syria and Europe remained intact (Syria exports oil, cotton, phosphates, and textiles to EU countries). At one point, Damascus started looking around for alternative trade partners in case Europe turns completely against it.

"Europe is not our only option. We have strategic connections with various economic blocks around the world. Syria is determined to upgrade its relations with countries in the East, such as Iran, Russia, China, and Malaysia, as well as countries in Latin America and Africa, including South Africa," Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Dardari said recently.

Making good on Syrian promises, President Al-Assad visited China, Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem held talks in South Africa, and various Syrian officials have been in Tehran. Syria is attracting many investors from Malaysia, China, and Iran. The Syrians say that they can survive without Europe, but they have done all they can to keep their economic ties with Europe intact, even when the political scene looked discouraging.

Finally, France has begun to change its tune. Following the Doha talks about Lebanon, French officials expressed satisfaction with the Syrian position. Then President Nicolas Sarkozy telephoned President Bashar Al-Assad and invited him to attend the Union for the Mediterranean conference, scheduled to be held in Paris on 13 July, one day before the French National Day celebrations. This was big news for the Syrians, opening other doors for them in Europe. According to a German source, Germany plans to "take immediate measures to improve ties with Syria in a similar fashion to what France has done."

Damascus is thrilled with any gesture coming from European countries. During a conference in Tripoli last month, Syrian officials discouraged any statements hostile to the Union for the Mediterranean. In talks with visiting European officials, the Syrians are said to have expressed their desire to promote regional peace and stability.

In exchanges with European officials, the Syrians defend their policies in Iraq and Palestine. They admit to having vital interests in Lebanon, but deny interfering in Lebanese affairs. As for the accusations concerning an alleged nuclear reactor in Al-Kibar, one that Israel bombed recently, Syrian officials maintain that it was an old military site. Last week, they allowed officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the site.

According to Saber Falhout, media advisor to the Syrian president, the US allegations about a Syrian covert nuclear programme were designed to "dampen the peace process in the Middle East and drive a wedge between Syria and Europe." He told Al-Ahram Weekly that the US has been trying to put pressure on Syria for years.

"The US has satellites that can trace the movement of ants in the desert, and therefore knows better than anyone else that Syria doesn't have nuclear reactors that can be used for military purposes," Falhout said, noting that Syria has signed all international agreements banning nuclear weapons and agrees to opening its facilities to investigation.

According to well-informed sources, the site in question did not contain a nuclear reactor. But it may have been used as a warehouse for missiles from suspicious sources or to produce non- nuclear weapons. Syria is not cooperating with neither Iran nor Korea in nuclear matters and doesn't have the technical, financial, and human resources needed to build a nuclear weapon, the sources note.

In an interview with the Weekly, a Damascus-based French diplomat said that Europe's rapprochement with Syria was not exactly taking place "without US endorsement". He added that both Europe and the US failed to contain Syria through sanctions and pressure and couldn't get it to distance itself from Iran, Hizbullah, and Palestinian groups. "Therefore, the West decided that improving ties would be a better option."

The French diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the West encouraged Turkey to improve its ties with Syria and act as mediator between Syria and Israel. The West is hoping that Turkey may prove so useful to the Syrians that the latter would feel no need for their special ties with Tehran. This may not be as far-fetched as it seems. Damascus is less than pleased with Iranian policy in Iraq, and the Iranians are not exactly thrilled with the prospect of Syrian-Israeli talks.

The Syrians are pleased with recent developments, but they cannot take Europe for granted. Damascus still has a lot of explaining to do with regard to its policies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. Unless what it says is acceptable to its European interlocutors, hopes for improved Syrian-European relations may be dashed.