Europeans Warming Towards Damascus

Muhammed Kuder, writing in the Baath newspaper, argued that Syria plays a powerful role in the region following reports that French president Nicolas Sarkozy had telephoned his counterpart Bashar al-Assad to congratulate his administration for helping end the Lebanese political crisis.



Kuder argued that European nations formerly aligned with the United States were now praising Syria’s “positive and constructive role” in the region.



"Damascus is as essential to defusing the region today as it was yesterday," he added.



Despite American attempts to limit Syria’s influence, Kuder said, it is difficult, even impossible to ignore the country because of its geographical position and role.



In another opinion piece, published in the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan, journalist Ziad Haidar noted that the Doha agreement which ended Lebanon’s political stalemate broke the ice between Syria and France.



Citing Syrian sources, Haider said that by reaching out to Damascus, France had conceded the important role played by the Syrians. He suggested that France and Syria could have worked together to solve the crisis last year, if the US had not intervened.



Haider noted that while European countries were warming to Damascus in the wake of the Doha agreement, Syria’s relations with the US and its allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt were still at a standstill.