Gulf Daily News - 12/10/2006

Bahrain yesterday called for a just, comprehensive and permanent peace settlement on all tracks in the Middle East.

"The Middle East peace process must be comprehensive and not based on just one aspect," Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said yesterday.

"Currently there exists an historic opportunity to relaunch it," he said, praising Syria's role as important in accomplishing it.

This would include Israeli total withdrawal from Arab territories occupied in the 1967 six-day June war, the establishment of the Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital, Shaikh Khalid said.

He was speaking as he met Syrian President Dr Bashar Al Assad in Damascus and conveyed greetings from His Majesty King Hamad, Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and BDF Commander-in-Chief Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, wishing Syria further progress and development.

He also called for the return of the occupied Golan Heights to Syrian sovereignty and Israel's pullout from Lebanese occupied territories.

Regional development and issues of joint interest were also discussed.