Al-Assad, German Chancellor discuss development of relations, regional developments

Amid great German political and media interest, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Berlin and held immediately a close- door meeting with the German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder centered on developing cooperation between the two countries and means of salvaging the ME peace process. The President and the Chancellor answered questions put by journalists following the meeting.

President al-Assad and the German Chancellor held a press conference in which the German Chancellor welcomed President al-Assad as a dear guest in Germany and noted his visit to Syria in 2000. The German Chancellor said that the Mitchell report which is the currently debated solution for Palestinians and Israelis gives the opportunity to end violence.

He underlined Syria's key role in the Middle East region and expressed his hope that President al-Assad will continue his efforts to serve peace which is in the interests of all peoples in the region.

The Syrian President, for his part, expressed happiness to be in Berlin and to meet with the German Chancellor for the second time within less than one year. " this visit will be a chance to continue discussions on what we had started last Autumn in Damascus." He added " we have discussed various issues in political and economic areas and bilateral relations between the two countries." " Of course the political issue had the vast area in today's talks. And concentration was on the ME peace process during which he stressed the need of implementing international legitimacy resolutions in order to reach a just and comprehensive peace. We stressed that any initiative that will be taken should be under these resolution, namely the international legitimacy resolutions, which automatically means it will be subjected to the interests of peoples and to return interests to its people.."

At the dinner banquet the German chancellor held in honor of President al-Assad, he announced that his country will ask the European partners to help Syria to maintain a success for the underway renovation and reform operation.

The German chancellor expressed his deep concern over the incidents taking place in the region and called for a European- American cooperation for rescuing the peace process.

For his part, President al-Assad stressed Syria's care to strengthen Syrian- German ties and boost Syrian- European partnership noting the implementation of an integrated plan for development and modernization in Syria by relying on national potentials in the first place and secondly " by the support of our friends."

The president talked in details about the peace process and stressed the peace sought by Syria is that the just and comprehensive and that which restores back rights to its owners and put an end to the Israeli occupation and aggression. He, simultaneously stressed the UN resolutions and the Madrid terms of reference as a base for the optimum peace in the region.

The President also noted Israel's practices in resorting to power in dealing with the Arabs and pushing the area towards war and in its violation of the international legitimacy resolutions. He said that the Arabs want peace. They exert all efforts to prevent war. President al-Assad also called for a more effective European role to working for peace, due to the numerous common interests linking Europe to the Arab region.

On the other hand, the German circles warmly welcomed President al-Assad and showed readiness to contribute to the plans of developing and modernizing the Syrian economy and underlined Syria's importance and great role in the peace process.