DAMASCUS, Syria, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- New U.S. ambassador in Damascus Margaret Scoby Saturday presented her credentials to Syrian President Bashar Assad despite strained relations.
Scoby arrived in the Syrian capital late last month, replacing Theodore Kattouf whose mandate witnessed a period of improved relations especially after the Sept. 11 attacks when Syria cooperated with Washington on security matters.
Scoby, however, takes over at a time of difficult relations, which were gravely strained after Baghdad's fall in the hands of U.S. forces last April and Washington's endorsement of the Syria Accountability Act.
A Syrian source said the appointment of a new U.S. ambassador in Damascus "did not imply a resumption of Syrian-American dialogue," which was going on behind the scene between State Department and Syrian foreign ministry during the past couple years.
No date was fixed for restarting the dialogue whose last session was held last year, the source said.
Also Saturday, the Syrian president met with Bill Nelson, member of the Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee, in the presence of Scoby.
A U.S. embassy statement said the talks covered bilateral relations and issues of the Middle East region. Nelson is visiting Damascus as part of a Middle East tour.
