Minister: Syria is moving ahead with reform
Syria-Spain, Politics, 3/2/2006

Syria's Minister of Information Mohsen Bilal underlined on Wednesday that the government is going ahead with the reform process in all fields noting the importance of making use of the Spanish government experience in this respect.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Razon, Minister Bilal emphasized Syria's firm stance towards the just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East which requires Israel's full withdrawal from the occupied Syrian territories in Golan until the June 4th border line, as well as "the admission of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people as to build their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Bilal reiterated Syria's rejection of pressure she is exposed to due to her stance pointing out that the "aggressive policies in the region are those practiced by Israel who is still occupying Arab territories and pursuing all kind of hostilities against the Palestinian people."

He stressed the need to keep Iraq's unity as a land and people and depicted the wining of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas in the occupied Arab territories as legal and legitimate adding that these elections must be respected and this an ethical and political position, noting that Syria supports the Palestinian people and their national authority.

Over the situation in Lebanon, Bilal said that Syria wants Lebanon to enjoy peace and security and that is what she has been promoting for over 30 years, noting bids of foreign interference in Lebanon's interior affairs.

The minister stressed Syria's desire to see the Middle East region free from all weapons of mass destruction.

For his part, King Juan Carlos of Spain received on Wednesday with the Spanish Queen Sofia the Syrian minister at the royal palace of Zarzuela.

King Juan Carlos voiced his country's pride of her friendship with Syria and her president as well her readiness to extend the aid and help needed in the process of reform and modernization Syria is undergoing.

He said Spain is going ahead in building joint economic projects that would bring the two countries benefit. Both the Spanish king and Queen hailed importance of the mass media in transmitting Syria's image as the country of civilization that goes thousands of years back in history to the Arab and international public opinion.

Queen Sofia for her part, expressed interest in the choice of Aleppo as the capital of Islamic culture in 2006 and considered that a big contribution in field of intercultural dialogue.

Previous Stories:
  Spain FM praises Syria's role in the Middle East   (3/1/2006)
  Syrian opposition refuses American financing proposal   (2/28/2006)
  Syria's grand mufti meets Spanish ambassador   (2/14/2006)

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