Syria is trying hard to break its isolation and gain friends, and is succeeding, Bassel Oudat writes from Damascus A week ago, Damascus hosted a four-way summit that was rather unusual. It was neither Arab, Islamic, Mediterranean nor Middle Eastern. The Syrians said it was all the above and more. Reporting on the Syrian- French-Qatari-Turkish gathering, the Syrian media spoke of a "historic summit" that would launch a "new phase" and "turn around the region". In one sense, the hyperbole was justified. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is currently the head of the Arab summit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is president of the EU, and Qatari Emir Hamad Ben Khalifa is president of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Only Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is not head of any specific outfit, though he is emerging as a high-profile mediator between East and West. Syrian analysts said that the two-hour encounter ended Syria's isolation. Others argued that it changed the map of the region. So what exactly is the substance for such claims? Evidently, each leader gathering in Damascus had something to gain. Ankara, a newcomer in the business of troubleshooting the region, wants to show Europe that it is a heavyweight. Not only is it sponsoring Syrian-Israeli talks, but it also may supplant Iran as a friend of the Syrians, or at least pull Syria a bit in the opposite direction. Two weeks ago, Turkey's high-profile diplomacy paid off. It clinched a crucial cooperation agreement with the GCC. France is equally experimental in its approach. By helping out the Syrians diplomatically, Paris is hoping that the Syrians will behave in Lebanon (exchange ambassadors, draw borders, keep Palestinian factions in check). Sarkozy wants to see progress in Syrian talks with Israel, and the French are keeping their eyes on prospective investment in Syria. Qatar, for its part, has developed a taste for high stakes diplomacy. Buoyed by its success in brokering a major Lebanese breakthrough, it is trying its hand at the Iranian nuclear crisis. Generally, it is putting everyone on notice that the Saudis are not the only Gulf country with diplomatic flair. Syria wants a break, first with Europe and then with the US. It wants a partnership agreement with the EU as well as US sponsorship of its talks with Israel. More importantly, it wants to show the Arabs and the world that it is no longer an isolated country. In short, Damascus wants to rehabilitate its image as a credible regional power. Visibly absent from the Damascus summit were Cairo, Riyadh and Washington. Cairo and Riyadh stayed away despite requests from Paris that they show up. Sarkozy wasn't put off, however. In statements made in Damascus, the French president praised Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who shares with him the co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean, and Saudi King Abdullah. Mubarak's political acumen was crucial to the entire region, Sarkozy said. For its part, Washington didn't show much interest, neither in the summit nor in sponsoring Syrian-Israeli peace talks. The Damascus summit may have kept everyone on the same page, but it broke no new ground. Erdogan has little patience for the grandstanding the Syrians are so fond of. The Qatari emir is not about to shift his country's regional and international alliances. And France cannot go far without consulting the EU and the US. The main reason Sarkozy showed up in Damascus is perhaps simple. Two months ago, Paris said that the French president would visit Damascus if the Syrians let the Lebanese have a new president. The French president kept his word. From the French point of view, Damascus is still in a trial period. Far from heralding a new regional and international arrangement, the summit was little more than a media opportunity. Perhaps it is the beginning of something, but that remains to be seen. Perhaps Damascus would one day change its policies towards Lebanon, Palestine and Iran, but not before the US starts treating it more kindly -- and agrees to sponsor its talks with Israel. The only tangible progress made was on the economic front. Syria and France signed seven agreements, but only those concerning oil will go into effect immediately. France is hoping that cooperation would strengthen its position in the Syrian market. And although Syrian-French trade has reached $1.3 billion a year, the French believe that the prospects for cooperation are much bigger. For now, Damascus has renewed the contract of the French oil company Total. In turn, Paris promised to sell Airbus aircraft to Syria and to help the Syrians overcome the US boycott -- especially the Syria Accountability Act that bars the export of US technology to Syria. It is unclear yet how much leverage Paris has in this regard. France and Syria also signed agreements on small industries, solar energy, and transport cooperation. It's a start, modest and tentative. But for Syria, hungry as it is for international recognition, it was just as good as the real deal.
