U.S. Letter of Assurances to Syria, October 1991
1. The peace conference and the talks that follow must be
based on Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
2. The object of the conference is to prepare for direct
bilateral Arab-Israeli talks within two days and also for multilateral talks
within two weeks. The bilateral talks will run on two parallel tracks: direct
talks between Israel and the neighboring states, and direct talks between
Israel and "the Palestinians."
3. The U.S. intends to work actively towards a comprehensive
settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and do everything it can to keep the
two-track process going in that direction. The U.S. is not an advocate of
linkage between the "various forms of negotiations," but believes
that speedy action m all negotiations to arrive at an agreement is needed and
would serve the interests of a comprehensive settlement.
4. The conference will convene under U.S.-Soviet auspices
and can reconvene with the approval of all parties.
5. The role of the UN consists in the dispatch by the UN
secretary-general of a representative to attend the conference as an observer.
The U.S. and the USSR will keep the
secretary-general informed of the progress of the negotiations. Any agreements
reached by the parties will be registered at the secretary and communicated to
the Security Council, whose endorsement will be sought by the participating
parties. The U.S., cognizant of all parties' interests in the success of the
process, will not, as long as the process is actively under way, support any
parallel or conflicting action by the Security Council.
6. The final settlement can be reached only on the basis of
mutual concessions during the negotiations. The U.S. will throughout these
negotiations continue to be committed to the fact that Security Council
Resolution 242 and the land-for-peace principle are applicable to all fronts,
including the Golan Heights.
7. The U.S. does not intend to recognize or accept any
unilateral action on the pan of Israel vis-a-vis the extension of its laws,
sovereignty or administration to the territory of the Golan Heights.
8. The U.S. will continue to oppose Israeli settlement
activity in the territories occupied in 1967, which remains an obstacle to
peace.
9. The U.S. is prepared to serve as guarantor of the
security of whatever borders Israel and Syria agree on.
10. The U.S. will continue to act as a mediator that
genuinely seeks a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of
recognition of all the parties' "needs and requirements." The U.S.
and the USSR will remain the "moving force" in this process to help
the parties make progress towards a comprehensive peaceful settlement.
The U.S. and
USSR are ready to remain in constant touch with any of the parties at any time,
and the U.S. is also ready to participate in the negotiations in any of their
stages with the approval of the parties involved.
SOURCE: Asharq al-Awsat 15 October 1991, as reproduced
in Mideast Mirror the same day.
