Israel-Syria peace talks off to a good start

Israel-Syria peace talks off to a good start
AGENCIES

SHEPERDSTOWN, JAN 4: Talks between Israel and Syria, with US President Bill Clinton as facilitator, were ``off to a good start'' , according to Clinton's spokesman.

Clinton, who met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, on Monday told his spokesman, Joe Lockhart, that both sides were taking a ``serious and constructive'' attitude toward the difficult issues that must be resolved before there can be a formal peace between the two countries.

The two countries have technically been in a state of war since 1967. Israel has annexed much of the territory it seized in the 1967 six-day war. The issues to be settled include an Israeli withdrawal from Allor part of the Golan Heights, the nature of the peace and relations that will follow an agreement, guaranteeing security between the two countries and the timing and pace of the peace process.

It is not expected that all the details would be settled in these talks, but US officials hope there would be aframework agreement that would set the pattern for the future detailed negotiations. Syria meanwhile warned on Tuesday that there would be dangerous repercussions if the current round of US-brokered peace talks with Israel does not result in real progress. The state-run Syria Times said that if advances are not made in West Virginia, a "deep freeze" could follow.

"Unless there is a breakthrough soon, the whole process for making peace will come to a dangerous recess," the English-language daily said. "Until the Israelis summon the courage to move forward, no real breakthrough is likely to occur."