Dec
12
Following the resumption of diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon in October, the two states look ready to make good on one of their promises as the names for each country’s ambassadors have been circulating in news reports. The Foreign Minister’s of each country signed an agreement two months ago in Damascus pledging the establishment of diplomatic ties based on a “mutual respect of each other’s sovereignty and independence.” The agreement, however, only came in the aftermath of the Lebanese domestic developments in March, which saw Beirut under seige by Hezballah gunmen, eventually earning them veto-power in the national government following an accord brokered by Qatar. While ties have been resumed, and embassies are scheduled to be opened soon, several contentious issues remain between the two states (including the demarcation of their shared border, which has implications for the Israeli-Syrian negotiations on the Golan Heights).
The two names making the rounds in press reports over the past few days have been the Lebanese Ambassador to Cyprus, Michel El Khoury, and Syria’s Ambassador to Spain, Makram Obeid:
“The cabinet is planning to submit the name of Khoury, the current Lebanese ambassador to Cyprus, to become ambassador in Damascus,” the official told AFP, requesting anonymity.
The cabinet is due to meet on December 15.
In October, Syria and Lebanon established diplomatic ties for the first time since both became independent 60 years ago and vowed to name ambassadors by the end of the year.
Khoury, who will turn 59 on December 24, would not confirm his appointment, telling AFP: “I have not been contacted officially on the matter.”
Once the cabinet officially designates its ambassador, his appointment must then be approved by Damascus before the envoy can take up the post.
Khoury was previously ambassador to The Hague and held top diplomatic jobs in several countries including Britain, Brazil and Mexico.
Diplomatic sources quoted by the Lebanese press say Syria has decided to name its current ambassador to Spain, Makram Obeid, as it envoy to Beirut.
Couldn’t find much more information about the two men, however when/if I do, I’ll be sure to update the post.
Meanwhile, the Syrians are set to sign an agreement with the EU, putting the two actors in a partnership toward establishing stronger economic and cultural ties. The partnership, which stems from 1995’s Barcelona Process, would also privelage Syria with economic assistance and prefferential trade arrangements. Syria, which was the lone holdout to the partnership agreement that 11 other regional nations have signed, agreed to terms on the initiative in 2004 only to have the process frozen following the assassination of Lebanese P.M Rafik Hariri in 2005. The warming of the EU’s perceptions of Syria’s image is another signal that Damascus is being brought back into the international fold after a recent spell of isolation. What brought about the sudden reversal of attitudes? David Shenker of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy speculates:
What prompted the EU’s recent reassessment is not entirely clear; the Hariri investigation is months away from conclusion, and the international tribunal will not be operational before spring 2009. To be sure, Europe was impressed this past May by the announcement of Israeli-Syrian (indirect) negotiations in Turkey and by Damascus’s adoption of a seemingly more productive stance vis-a-vis Lebanon, symbolized by the election later that month of Michel Suleiman as president. More recently, Paris expressed delight with Syria’s pledge in July 2008 to open an embassy in Beirut. In the aftermath of these developments, senior-level diplomatic exchanges between Europe and Syria — largely frozen since 2005 — resumed full force.
Despite the fanfare with which these developments were received, Syria’s steps were rather modest. Although Damascus deferred a political crisis in Beirut by allowing the election of a Lebanese chief executive, President Suleiman, who was appointed chief of staff of the Lebanese Armed Forces by Syria in 1998, is widely viewed as sympathetic toward Syria. Likewise, Syrian president Bashar al-Asad’s commitment to open an embassy in Beirut remains only a pledge — and a symbolic gesture at best. Damascus is already hedging on follow-through; in early December, Syrian foreign minister Walid Mouallem said the appointment of an ambassador “would take place gradually.”
Few in Europe are likely to believe that the embassy’s establishment will constitute recognition of Lebanese sovereignty. And many in Lebanon fear a new embassy would represent the reestablishment of Anjar, the notorious former home of Syria’s viceroy in Lebanon.
Continue reading that last link, in which Shenker lists a few ‘inconvenient truths’ that the EU seems to be ignoring.
Also: this news story may spawn a longer post in the future, given that the story develops, but for now a link will suffice. Iraq has proposed the creation of a regional grouping in the Middle East, modeled after the E.U.
The proposal seems to be the child of a nation eager to reassert itself amongst its neighbors, in which Iraq seems to be ignoring a few inconvenient truths of its own. My suggestion: forget establishing new partnerships and organizations until the ones that exist function effectively. Begin a serious process of reforming the Arab League, refocusing its efforts on economic cooperation and policy. Any new groupings will run into the same ditch of insignificance that its forerunners have been stuck in for years.
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