Al-Assad to visit the Arab Maghreb states

The United Arab Emirates UAE daily al-Bayan issued in Dubai on Sunday said that Syria's President Bashar al-Assad will visit the Arab Maghreb states and France following the Arab summit in Amman.

The paper quoted well-informed Syrian sources as saying that President al- Assad will start these visits by a tour on the Arab Maghreb states: Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco and then in May will visit France and his visit to France will be his first leg in Europe due to the special importance Damascus pins on the French role in several regional issues and relations with Europe in general, as well as the importance of the files President al-Assad will discuss with the French President, foremost being the situation in the region after Ariel Sharon assumed power in Israel.

The sources added that the program of President Bashar al-Assad will also cover visits to each of India, Britain and Italy is also expected to be on the schedule.