Syrian prime minister slams US at end of Sudan visit

News May 2003 Al-Jazeerah.info

Jordan Times, 5/19/03

KHARTOUM (AFP) — Syrian Prime Minister Mustafa Miro hit out Sunday at US accusations against Damascus as he ended a two-day visit here aimed at promoting trade with Khartoum.

Miro told reporters US accusations that Damascus has links to "terrorist" organisations and is seeking weapons of mass destruction "are false and baseless."

Despite the harsh words, Miro said the dialogue between his country and Washington is continuing.

Miro, who was in Khartoum for the meeting of the Sudanese-Syrian joint committee, added the time had come for the lifting of the decade-old sanctions on Iraq, one month after the fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

He insisted Syria would never close the offices of Palestinian resistance groups in Damascus, although the factions have kept a low-profile since US Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Syria on May 3 and urged Syria to expel the groups.

Turning to trade, Miro said the Sudanese-Syrian joint committee had concluded an oil cooperation agreement.

Earlier, the two nations issued a statement calling for the withdrawal of the US-led forces from Iraq and to give Iraqis back their independence and "full sovereignty.”

Miro also briefed Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir on talks of the joint Sudanese-Syrian committee, Sudan's state-run SUNA news agency said.

The meetings which Miro chaired with Sudanese First Vice President Ali Osman Taha focused on implementing cooperation accords in the industrial, commercial, agricultural, scientific and cultural fields, he was quoted as saying.

Both Syria and Sudan are oil producers.

Sudan currently exports an estimated 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude.

Syria's oil export capacity is estimated at about 200,000 bpd, but it had been selling until March nearly twice the amount, thanks to cheap crude supply from Iraq that started in November 2000 without UN authorisation.

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