Al-Assad meets with Fares, al-Sahaf

President Bashar al-Assad at the Damascus al-Shaab presidential palace on Thursday received the Lebanese deputy prime minister Issam Fares.

Talks dealt with the situation in the region and issues of mutual concern to the two "sisterly" states.

Later in the afternoon, President al-Assad received the Iraqi foreign minister Muhammad saeed al-Sahaf.

The meeting was attended by the foreign minister Farouk al-Sharaa, the secretary of the Iraqi foreign ministry Nabil Najm and the chairman of the Iraqi interests office n Damascus Rifaat al-Ani.

Talks dealt with the meetings of the Arab League Council in preparations for the coming Arab summit and the importance of ensuring it a success as well as relations between Syria and Iraq.