September 04, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 3, 1429

DAMASCUS, Sept 3: French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived on Wednesday on his first visit to Damascus, meant to explore prospects for direct peace between the Arab country and Israel.

Sarkozy was to discuss the peace negotiations between the two enemies that have so far been taking place indirectly through Turkish mediators.

His visit -- also the first to Syria by a French president in eight years -- is a push to bring Syria out of isolation and away from the influence of regional power Iran.

After touchdown at the Damascus airport, Sarkozy headed for talks with President Bashar Assad. The French president received a red carpet welcome at the hilltop al-Shaab presidential palace overlooking the ancient capital. A military band played France's La Marseillaise and Syria's national anthem, and the two leaders reviewed an honour guard.

On Thursday, the French president is to join the prime minister of Turkey and the emir of Qatar for a three-way summit with Assad.

The three nations have significant roles in the region. Turkey has been mediating the Israeli-Syrian talks for more than a year. The Gulf nation of Qatar is a key broker in inter-Arab disputes. Sarkozy said ahead of the trip that France would be willing to help sponsor any face-to-face negotiations between Israel and Syria. The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan quoted him as saying that Syria was looking for France and the United States to offer such backing.

“That's proof of the confidence that we are rebuilding between our two countries,” Sarkozy was quoted as saying. “As I told President Assad, France will of course be available to accompany the parties.”

Sarkozy is not carrying any particular message from Israel, a top official in his office said. The official spoke on condition that his name not be used because of office policy.

He said the peace efforts were progressing well, but that Paris would be closely watching developments at the next set of indirect talks which are to tackle the crucial problem of the countries' borders.

Syria demands a full return of the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Face-to-face talks collapsed in 2000 because of disagreement over the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the heights. Assad said on Tuesday in an interview with France-3 television that the indirect negotiations have brought the “possibility of peace,” though there is still a way to go to achieve it.

He praised Sarkozy's policy of warming toward Syria, calling it a “pragmatic ... realistic policy interested in stability and dialogue.”

France hopes easing of Syria's isolation will allow Damascus to distance itself from Iran, the official from Sarkozy's office said, adding that Paris also wants to push Syria to help get the West's message across on Iran's nuclear programme.

Sarkozy's visit will boost Assad's government, which has been isolated by major Western powers and Arab powerhouses Egypt and Saudi Arabia over its policies in Lebanon.

Its also a recognition of the regional clout Syria has, wielding influence with Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in addition to its close ties to Iran -- all opponents of US policy in the Middle East.

Sarkozy has argued that it is necessary to engage in a dialogue with Damascus, opening channels that his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, had shut with Assad after the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Hariri was a close friend of Chirac, and the slain leader's supporters accused Syria of the killing, a charge Damascus denies.—Reuters