Syria’s Assad wants to review EU pact before sealing deal
AFP | 22 October 2009
Syria’s Assad wants to review EU pact before sealing deal
DAMASCUS — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insisted on Thursday that Damascus must review a partnership agreement with the European Union, which had been due to be signed next week, before it can be sealed.
"We must review the association agreement with Europe," Assad told a news conference after talks with visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
A diplomatic source in Brussels said earlier this month that the deal would be finalised on October 26, but on Tuesday another diplomat close to the EU’s Swedish presidency said Syria called for a delay.
"I have always backed the partnership with the European Union," Assad said.
"It is a priority but first we must cooperate in an efficient manner with Europe before the association agreement can be signed," he said.
"It is a technical issue. Technical details can lead to disagreements," he said.
Damascus and the EU first drew up the draft partnership pact in 2004 but it was never signed by European countries, amid concerns by some nations of rights abuse in Syria.
The Netherlands in particular demanded a clause allowing for the suspension of the deal in the event of proven rights abuses.
On October 8, a diplomat in Brussels said the deal would be signed on October 26 in Luxembourg after the Swedish presidency brokered a deal that would see a separate memorandum of understanding signed by the Europeans to deal with rights concerns.
It will "in substance say that the EU reserves the right to suspend the association accord," the diplomat said.
Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in mid-October that Damascus wanted more time to study the deal in detail and that an agreement could be sealed during the Spanish presidency of the EU which begins on January 1.
"If the government concludes its review during the Swedish presidency (which runs until December 31) we will sign the accord. If not, we will sign it during the Spanish presidency," Muallem said.
