June 19, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 14, 1429

NEW DELHI, June 18: Syria said on Wednesday it supported a truce between Hamas and Israel, calling on the Jewish state to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

“We support this agreement. We support the lifting of the boycott of Gaza, and we hope and we are waiting to see whether the Israelis are going to fulfil their part of this truce,” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said.

Muallem also said Syria and Israel were preparing for a new round of indirect peace talks after what was described as successful contacts in Turkey over the weekend, but gave no further details.

The minister was speaking during a visit to India by President Bashar al-Assad, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on the first visit by a Syrian head of state to India in two decades.

Later addressing Indian businessmen, Assad said Syria’s “commitment to reform and economic liberalisation” was being affected by the situation in the Middle East.

But he said “the indirect talks between Syria and Israel and the recent Doha agreement which has provided a tangible step towards national reconciliation in Lebanon, gives us reason to be optimistic about the future of our region.”

“Only peace and stability will ensure sustainable development and long-term prosperity for our region and the world.” —AFP