Al-Assad discusses with the British prime minister the question of peace, terrorism

President Bashar al-Assad at the Damascus al-Shaab palace on Wednesday received the British prime minister Tony Blair and members of the accompanying delegation.

The meeting was attended by the foreign minister Farouk al-Shara and the British ambassador in Damascus Henry Hogger.

Then, the President and Mr. Blair held a close- door meeting.

Discussions between President al-Assad and Blair dealt with conditions in the region and the world in general and the question of peace in the Middle East and the question of terrorism and the need to have a distinction between terrorism and resisting the occupation. Discussions also dealt with bilateral relations between Syria and Britain and means of consolidating them.

After the meeting, President al-Assad and Prime minister Blair held a joint press conference during which al-Assad welcomed the British prime minister and stressed that just and comprehensive peace is Syria's strategic goal and that achieving this very peace is considered a big step towards fighting terrorism.

Al-Assad said that Israel practices organized state terrorism and " we can not single out the Israeli terrorism against the Palestinian terrorism. Seeing just by one eye means only half of the fact." President al-Assad stressed that Syria supports the international cooperation to fighting terrorism but it is not with launching wars nor killing innocents and there should be a distinction between resistance which is a legitimate right and between terrorism, noting that the French leader Charles De Gaule who resisted the occupation can not be accused of being a terrorist. He also stressed that Islam has no links to terrorism.

Blair, for his part welcomed Syria's condemnation of the terrorist attacks against the US and concentrated on the fact that those who committed these attacks have no links to Islam. Blair also stressed Britain's care to revive the ME peace process, halt the violence and establishing the Palestinian state.

President Bashar al-Assad and Blair visited the grand Ummayad's mosque and they were accompanied by al-Shara and the British ambassador in Damascus. They were welcomed by the minister of al-Awqaf ( Islamic Trust).

President al-Assad, and Premier Blair listened to explanations on the mosque's ancient history and had photos at the courtyard of the mosque.

Later in the day, The British prime minister and his companions left Damascus and were seen off at the airport by President al-Assad and high ranking officials.