Al-Assad heads to Berlin; German ambassador in Damascus: No peace without Syria

Germany's ambassador in Damascus Ghunther Mulak has underlined the importance of Syria in the region and that peace cannot be established without her.

In a press conference he held on Sunday morning at the headquarters of the German embassy in Damascus, the ambassador said on the occasion of President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Germany: "It pleases us that the visit of the President comes at the invitation of the German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder," noting that the talks to be held during this visit will concentrate on bilateral relations between the two countries and the situation in the Middle East region.

He indicated that the President will meet during this visit with the German President Yuhanis Rao and high ranking German officials. The president is accompanied in this visit by an official delegation including the foreign minister Farouk al-Shara, the minister of the economy and foreign trade Muhammad al-Imadi, the minister of higher education Hassan Rishe, the industry minister Ahmad Hamou, the deputy foreign minister Suleiman Haddad and Syria's ambassador in Berlin.

The president who leaves today to Germany is also accompanied by a delegation representing Syrian businessmen.