Mideast situation/Lebanon/Peace process – Bush, Putin call for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon – White House press release/Non-UN document (excerpts)

Bush, Putin Call for Syrian Withdrawal From Lebanon

Leaders also agreed the Iran must abandon nuclear weapons aspirations

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during their February 24 meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, that Syria should withdraw from Lebanon, and that Iran needs to abandon “any nuclear weapons aspirations.”

Speaking on background in Bratislava February 24, a senior Bush administration official said, it is “clear” that, despite Russia’s abstention from the vote on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for withdrawal of outside forces from Lebanon, “both countries believe that this resolution should be enforced” and that Syria should not interfere in Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

The two leaders also discussed the possible sale of Russian missiles to Syria, the senior official, adding that the United States wants Russia to reconsider its position.

“We think any sale of this type of weaponry to Syria is destabilizing at this point,” the official said.

…

Following is the transcript of the background briefing on President Bush’s meeting with President Putin:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Bratislava, Slovakia)
February 24, 2005

BACKGROUND BRIEFING BY A SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ON THE PRESIDENT'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN

Hotel Danube
Bratislava, Slovakia

7:31 P.M. (Local)

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  …

…

There was a little discussion of the Middle East.  I think, in the sense that the recent Palestinian elections, the emergence of Abu Mazen has created an opportunity to move the process — peace process forward in the Middle East, and this is an issue in which both countries are prepared to work with both the Palestinian and the Israeli leadership, as well as other countries in the region in producing a lasting peace settlement.

On Syria, there was some discussion of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.  I think it's clear that even though the Russians abstained from the vote on that resolution in the Security Council, that both countries believe that this resolution should be enforced, that the Syrian government does have an obligation to withdraw from Lebanon, and not interfere in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Lebanon.

There was some discussion of missile sales.  Our position, I think, is clear on this issue.  We think any sale of this type of weaponry to Syria is destabilizing at this point.  We are monitoring this situation very closely.  We made that point clear.  And the clear intent of this is that we would wish that the Russians would reconsider their position on the sale of those weapons.

…

END  7:58 P.M. (Local)

(end transcript)

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