Syria Gives Briton Warm Welcome

DAMASCUS, Syria — After being told in Israel that Europeans are too biased to play Mideast peacemaker, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook traveled Wednesday to Syria--where he was told that Europe must play an even greater role.

Europe’s influence is vital to keep up pressure on Israel, Syrian newspapers declared on the morning of Cook’s arrival.

After a stormy one-day stop in Israel, Cook got a warmer welcome in Syria, where he was met at the Damascus airport by Foreign Minister Farouk Shareh. The two immediately went into a meeting, followed by talks between Cook and Syrian President Hafez Assad.

In Israel on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off a scheduled dinner and joint news conference with Cook to protest Cook’s meeting with a Palestinian lawmaker at a controversial Jewish housing project on disputed land in East Jerusalem.