Brussels, 07/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - According to a reliable European source, Syria has expressed the hope of being able to sign its association agreement with the EU on 29 or 30 November in The Hague on the sidelines of the ministerial session of Euro-Mediterranean countries. Damascus is even said to be willing to initial a "political agreement" to seal the conclusion of talks on all chapters of the agreement, which have already been settled technically, while leaving open one aspect still subject to approval by the Council of Ministers. This aspect, which covers the commitment whereby Syria, like all the EU's external partners, is invited not to produce or disseminate weapons of mass destruction, remains the last obstacle to effective conclusion of the talks on the association agreement. The discussion on this issue was prolonged, more between the EU Member States than between the EU and Syria although Damascus had, initially, grudgingly accepted insisting that such commitments should be taken at international level including the Israeli nuclear arsenal. Syria finally agreed to take the commitments called for. A standard formula was proposed by the European side but some Member States did not find it sufficiently binding, especially in the specific case of Syria. The countries expressing reserve are mainly the United Kingdom and Germany, convergent sources believe. To these must be added France, which, despite denials by the spokesperson for the Foreign Minister, maintains a reservation of principle linked to the dispute with Damascus over its policy in Lebanon.