Syria welcomes appointment of new US ambassador to Damascus

Dec 30, 2010, 10:35 GMT

Damascus - Syria on Thursday welcomed the appointment of Robert Ford as the first United States ambassador to the country in more than five years.

Senior Syrian official Issa Darwish told the German Press Agency dpa that the move would help Damascus convey its political positions better.

'Syria has proven, as President Bashar al-Assad has, that it is for peace,' said Darwish, who is former assistant foreign minister and a senior member of the ruling Baath Party.

'And experience has proven, over the past four decades, that Syria is an important player in the region and it is in Washington's interest to have an ambassador in Damascus to understand the political position of Syria,' he added.

US President Barack Obama bypassed Senate on Wednesday to appoint Ford, a veteran diplomat, to the post in Damascus.

Washington withdrew its ambassador, Margaret Scobey, from Damascus in February 2005, the day after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in Beirut.

Although Syria has staunchly refuted accusations it was behind the attack, the United States has pointed the finger at Damascus and accused it of meddling in Lebanese affairs.

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