World Jewish News

Syria asks Russia to help rid Mideast of nuclear weapons

Syrian President Bashar Assad has asked visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to help remove nuclear weapons from the Middle East, state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday. According to the report, Assad urged Russia to "contribute to turning the Middle East into an area free of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons."
Assad also commended Russia for helping to achieve peace in the Middle East, adding that could play an effective role in achieve a just and regional comprehensive peace.
The Syrian leader also called for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear conflict.
The SANA report also said that Medvedev expressed confidence that Russia and Syria will will cooperate to solve regional and international issues, especially in bringing an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Medvedev arrived in Damascus on Monday, in the first official visit by a Russian or Soviet leader to Syria.
The visit is seen, among other things, as intended to increase Russia's influence in the Middle East, and is perhaps a foray by Moscow toward further involvement in possible future peace talks between Israel and its neighbor to the north.
According to some reports President Shimon Peres, whose Moscow visit runs parallel to Medvedev's trip, had passed a message to the Syrian president, indicating that Israel would not attack this summer.
Syria has also been rumored to be interested in acquiring advanced Russian-made Iskander surface-to-surface missiles, although sources had said Moscow was likely to refuse such a transaction.

Haaretz.com