Syria touts diplomatic endeavors

DAMASCUS, Syria, March 24 (UPI) -- Damascus will spare no effort at finding a strategy to resolve differences in the Arab community and the United States, the Syrian foreign minister said.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Damascus would work with its Arab neighbors as regional leaders prepare for a major summit in Doha, Qatar, later this month.

He noted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has led a diplomatic effort to find a solution to the Palestinian issue and the stability of Iraq, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reports.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister said Damascus supports the Lebanese effort and sees the upcoming legislative elections in June in a positive light.

Damascus and Beirut exchanged embassies recently, and Tuesday, Ali Abdul Karim Ali was appointed as the first-ever Syrian ambassador to Lebanon.

On the engagement policy of U.S. President Barack Obama, Moallem said the Washington posture on the region, Iran in particular, was positive, but it was too early to make any assessment.

"We must wait to see how they will be carried out on the ground by practical steps," he said.