U.S. to Dispatch Special Envoy to Syria
WASHINGTON — The United States will send a special envoy to Syria to discuss improving relations following secret communications between President Reagan and Syrian President Hafez Assad, a Reagan Administration official said today.
Presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said a letter was sent to Assad following the economic summit in Venice, Italy, where Reagan discussed the possible communications with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Assad accepted the offer for the envoy, Fitzwater said. He refused to confirm reports that Vernon Walters, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, would serve as the envoy.
“The letter was prompted by our interest in dialogue on a number of issues--the Mideast peace plan, the terrorist situation, terrorist events in Lebanon and the hostage situation,” Fitzwater said.
Fitzwater cautioned against drawing any conclusions about the discussions or expecting a change in the status of a U.S. ambassador to Syria.
The United States withdrew its ambassador to Syria, William Eagleton, last October after Britain broke relations with that country, citing “conclusive evidence” that Syrian diplomats and intelligence agents were involved in an attempt to bomb an Israeli airliner in April, 1986.
However, the United States left a charge d’affaires to head the embassy in Damascus and never broke diplomatic relations.
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