Al-Assad to visit France

The Saudi daily al-Watan said in its Thursday's issue that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will within next week pay a visit to France. The paper added, quoting well-informed sources in Damascus that President Bashar al-Assad will discuss during this visit with President Jacque Chirac and high ranking French officials bilateral "relations and conditions in the region and the dangers imposed on the Palestinian people as a result of the oppressive Israeli practices and the need of having an effective European role in the peace process."