Syria-U.S. Friendship Blossoms, Cautiously

5048092Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (at left) on Thursday praised President Obama's ardor for dialogue and told two U.S. lawmakers his country is hoping for better relations with Washington.

Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., and Rep. Tim Walz D-Minn., arrived in Damascus Thursday in a first visit by a U.S. delegation since the U.S. voted to renew sanctions against this Mediterranean country earlier this month.

"Assad and the U.S. delegates discussed bilateral relations between Syria and the United States and the need for working on removing the hurdles that block their advance in a way that would serve the strengthening of stability in the Middle East," a presidential statement said.

"Talks also dealt with the signs of détente that the world witnessed lately and the necessity of investing this chance by all parties for maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world," it added.

Ties between Washington and Damascus became strained after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the assassination of Lebanese leader Rafiq Hariri in 2005, which was widely blamed on Syria. Damascus denies any involvement.

Washington recalled its ambassador in February 2005 following Hariri's murder.

Mr. Obama's new top Middle East envoy, Jeffrey Feltman, visited Syria in March in what was the first high-level U.S. trip in four years. He returned earlier this month for further meetings, describing them as "constructive" and vowing to pursue dialogue.

U.S. special envoy to the region George Mitchell is also expected in Damascus early in June for talks with Assad on Washington's vision for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Obama is scheduled to give a speech in Cairo on June 4, during which he will likely promote a peace plan backed by 57 nations that would see almost the entire Muslim world recognize Israel in return for comprehensive peace.

Syria and Israel engaged in indirect Turkish-sponsored peace talks last year, following an eight-year hiatus, but they were suspended after Israel's war on the Gaza Strip in December-January.

Assad, the statement said, applauded Mr. Obama's, "adoption of dialogue as a way for treating difficult issues," — a reference to years of sour relations with former President George W. Bush — and underscored the need for a "precise and rational vision" to solve the decades old Mideast crisis.

The statement made no mention of the renewal of the sanctions by U.S. lawmakers on May 7, which the Syrian media called "routine."

Walz and Kaufman arrived in Damascus Thursday from Israel, after talks with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.