Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said it could take from six months to two years to reach a peace agreement with Israel if the two sides agreed to face-to-face talks."Signing a peace accord with Israel ... it's a question that requires six months to two years maximum if both parties are serious in engaging direct talks," Assad said on Sunday, speaking on France 2 television.
Assad was in France for a summit of EU and Mediterranean leaders and has taken advantage of the visit to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders, such as the presidents of France and Lebanon. But he said he had not shaken hands with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who also attended Sunday's gathering. "No. We are engaged in indirect talks. We are not looking for symbols. We are trying to create a new reality; peace instead of war," the Syrian leader stated. "Once peace is signed then symbols take on a great importance," he added.
According to him, anyone who wanted peace in the Middle East needed to talk to Syria. He repeated his stance that he did not believe any accords could be reached this year while U.S. President George W. Bush remained in office.
