Al-Assad receives Lebanese, French delegations, a message and invitation from Chirac

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad Thursday received at al-Shaab palace a delegation representing the Lebanese lawyers. The delegation was composed of Michaeil Fawzi Elyan, Muhammad Riyadh Shehab, Ludi Ibrahim Masoud, nabil Butrous Tobya, Farouk Muhammad Yagi, Zein Nadim Hamadeh, Issam Fuad al-Khouri, Rimond Saadallah Eid, Marselle George Sayoufi, Samir Shafiq Abi al-Lama' and Michael Nimmat Allah Khattar.

Talks during the meeting dealt with regional conditions, inter-Arab relations and fraternal ties linking Syria and Lebanon.

Earlier in the day, President al-Assad received the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at the French foreign ministry and members of the accompanying delegation.

The French ambassador in Damascus attended the meeting.

The visiting French official conveyed to President al-Assad a message from the French President Jacque Chirac on the current critical conditions in conditions in the region.

Talks dealt with the critical current conditions in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel and its negative reflections on the peace process and the whole condition in the region.

Talks also dealt with the question of security at the Israeli- Lebanese borders following the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa.

The French side expressed his country's concern over the critical and complex conditions in the region and the desire to avert dangers from pace and the necessary attempts to establish such a peace.

The President expressed Syria's satisfaction over the conditions of the Syrian- French relations and France's interests in the situation in the region.

He said that Syria has always welcomed an active European role in the ME peace process and called for an active French role in this process due to France ' role in Europe and the world.

The French official conveyed an invitation to President al-Assad extended by the French President Jacque Chirac to visit France. The President accepted the invitation which he promised to fulfill at the appropriate time. The President asked the French envoy to convey his greetings and good wishes to the French President and people.

Earlier in the day, al-Shara met with the French official and talks dealt with current developments in the region, the future of the ME peace under the aggressive Israeli practices in the occupied Arab lands. Talks also dealt with bilateral relations between Syria and France.