HE PRESIDENT IN SYRIA FOR ASSAD'S FUNERAL

THE PRESIDENT IN SYRIA FOR ASSAD'S FUNERAL

H.E. Prof. Guido de Marco, President of Malta, left Malta this morning for Syria where he will be attending the State Funeral of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in Damascus tomorrow morning.

Prof. de Marco had met President Assad twice in Damascus in 1995 and in 1999. On both occasions, Prof. de Marco, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, and President Assad held lengthy meetings on the possibilities of Syria engaging in settlement talks with Israel.

The President remembers Hafez el-Assad as a man with a sense of direction and a great sense of logic who viewed the issue with Israel with characteristic simplicity.

"Assad would maintain that Israel is occupying Syrian territory and any discussion should centre on the return of occupied territory," the President said.

"He appreciated the contribution made by the US towards solving the impasse but he believed that the EU and other European countries could certainly contribute towards ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Syrian territories."

Prof. de Marco's visits to Damascus were part of the quest for avenues leading to negotiations and peace talks.

"The fact that Assad had already opened up to talks to a certain extent has helped the task of his successor," Prof. de Marco said.

"An important personality in the Middle East dramatis personae is now gone. The loss of Jordan's King Hussein and now the death of Syria's President Assad, have removed two very important figures who had dominated the Middle East for these last 30 years. The continuity now rests with President Arafat who has to ensure the realisation of the Palestinian State in observance of United Nations Resolution 242 in particular ensuring a just and lasting peace in acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area within secure and recognised boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

Prof. de Marco is accompanied by Mr Alfred Cachia, Head of Protocol, and Captain David Mifsud, aide-de-camp to the President.

The President is expected to return to Malta on Wednesday. Dr George Hyzler is Acting President.