Bashar seeks 'honourable peace'

The likely successor to Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, his son Bashar, has been speaking about Syria's relations with Israel, Lebanon and the wider Arab community.

He said peace talks were still going on with the US, that water, not security was Israel's top priority, and that Arab solidarity would continue to be vital even if the peace process bears fruit.

Excerpts from Bashar's interview with the London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat follow:

On the peace process

Contacts are continuing with Washington on the basis of US President Bill Clinton's understanding of the Syrian stand. Moreover, the brothers and friends are playing a positive role to activate the peace process.

On Israel's priorities

The Israelis present their priorities in the following order: Security, land, and water. But the truth of the matter is the opposite. Water is the most important issue for them.

Water is the most important issue for the Israelis

As to security, Israel has always been the aggressor and the balances of power are in its favour.

As to territory, the Syrian side has stated clearly from the start that it will not negotiate over a single inch of its territories.

Israel said at first it accepted this condition and the peace process were launched on that basis.

As to water, they are always giving unconvincing excuses, such as fears that the lake would be polluted or opposition to Syria's use of the lake's water.

We know that Tiberias Lake is a water reservoir and not a water spring. Hence our presence at 10 or 300 metres, as the Israelis are proposing, will not have any real effect.

The stand in Syria is clear: We want a fair and honourable peace.

In any case, it is premature to talk about these issues. This should come after talking about the land, which is the principal issue.

When will peace come?

Peace is measured by the result and not by time. The result depends on the determination and the sincere desire for peace. The stand in Syria is clear: We want a fair and honourable peace.

On Hezbollah

Hezbollah is at the forefront of the resistance. It is also a Lebanese political party and has deputies in the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies.

It is natural for it to practice its political role within this framework after the completion of the full withdrawal. But this does not mean laying down arms.

We are not staying in Lebanon for the sake of staying

The withdrawal is a solution for one problem, the problem of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.

But it does not negate the existence of a permanent Israeli danger to Lebanon due to the failure to move to the next fundamental stages in the Arab-Israeli conflict...

Syrian army in Lebanon

We are not staying in Lebanon for the sake of staying.

The Syrian presence continued, as a Lebanese need, in order to bolster civil peace and impose security, to say nothing of the backing and support against the Israeli occupation.

Our forces' presence in Lebanon is costing us too much but we are willing to continue to help our Lebanese brothers.

When Lebanon's legitimate authority believes the conditions are right for Lebanon to remain healthy through its own intrinsic strength and tells this to Syria, the Syrian forces will then return to their bases in Syria.

If Barak does not exploit withdrawal now and benefit from this opportunity, then this might give precedence to another view that holds that there is no need to continue the peace process

History shows that the escalation has always come from Israel, as admitted by its officials in some cases.

Anyhow, no-one knows where a spark will lead to once it is ignited. I believe that their defeat in Lebanon is a very harsh lesson and they will not dare to repeat it.

Time a crucial factor for Barak

If (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak) does not exploit withdrawal now and benefit from this opportunity, then this might give precedence to another view that holds that there is no need to continue the peace process in light of the recent calm in south Lebanon and the calm situation in the Golan.

Herein lies the importance of the time factor for him.

Arab solidarity

If the efforts are now concentrated on peace process, then the most important problem that the Arabs must be aware of is the extent of the readiness for the post-peace stage.

This underlines the importance of Arab solidarity, particularly in the development field and specifically in the economic and technological ones, so as to ensure a balance between the Arabs and Israel in various fields.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.