THREE TRACKS of diplomacy were on the table during President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Damascus this week: Syria's relations with Lebanon, Iran's nuclear enrichment programme, and attempts to get negotiations between Syria and Israel on a peace settlement under way.
It took courage for Mr Sarkozy to venture into such a complicated but interlinked field without much assurance of making progress on any of them; and however limited the movement that actually occurred during his visit, it was undoubtedly worth the effort.
Combining his role as French head of state with his current presidency of the European Union, Mr Sarkozy brought much-needed energy and some potential initiative to what has been a stagnant and neglected field of international politics for too long. There has been a diplomatic vacuum with the Syrians because of the Bush administration's refusal to engage with them. Having decided last year to do just that with President Bashir al-Assad, Mr Sarkozy encouraged him to establish normal diplomatic relations with Lebanon, thereby recognising its independence. He had little positive response from Mr Assad, but has succeeded in highlighting the devious ambiguity of Syria's continuing refusal to take such a step because that would imply renouncing its interference in Lebanon's politics. Progress on this track will come only when other pressures are brought to bear on the Syrian leader.
Mr Assad refused to agree with Mr Sarkozy's insistence that Iran should suspend its nuclear enrichment programme because it is aimed at producing nuclear weapons. Yesterday Mr Sarkozy went further when he said an Israeli attack on Iran, which he considers quite possible, would be a catastrophe for the Middle East. He hopes to persuade Syria to encourage Iranian co-operation with the international negotiations on this issue and to allow verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency. It does not suit Mr Assad to do this at present, but direct contact with him on it is helpful.
The Syrians are now ready for direct talks with the Israelis on a peace agreement and insist this must involve complete restoration of their sovereignty over the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. Mr Sarkozy found himself in competition with Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on this question at yesterday's summit. All were frustrated by the postponement of scheduled talks after an Israeli negotiator resigned because he lacks a mandate from departing Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. Mr Assad believes he should wait until after the US presidential election to activate these talks, but may be willing to speed them up if others agree.
For all the lack of visible movement yesterday, Mr Sarkozy's willingness to take risks is a refreshing change. The French and EU roles overlap crudely in this endeavour, even though there is not much complaint about lack of consultation. If such initiatives produce results they will be welcomed. Mr Sarkozy is on a learning curve, but a necessary one.