Interfax, Russia
July 9 2009

Syrian president says concessions in Middle East settlement "out of
the question"

BAKU July 9

The Middle East conflict can be settled only on the basis of the
liberation of all occupied territories, Syrian President Bashar
al-Asad said.

"There can be no concessions on our side. Naturally one cannot speak
of peace in the Middle East without the return of occupied lands,"
al-Asad said after the talks with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Baku
on Wednesday.

Speaking about Nargorno-Karabakh, al-Asad said that Azerbaijan’s
stance is based on international law and spoke for the speedy
settlement of the conflict. He noted that Syria as a country having
good relations with both sides to the conflict is ready to make its
contribution to its settlement.

Meanwhile, Aliyev said that Azeri-Syrian relations have good prospects
and that the two countries successfully cooperate at the United
Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.