Syrian President confers with US congressmen

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday at the Damascus al-Shaab palace received a delegation representing the US congressmen including member of the Foreign relations and Judicial committees Darrell Issa, the member of the revenues and Transport affairs committees Rahhal, member of the foreign relations, Agriculture and transport affairs committees John Cixy and the member of the foreign relations, transport affairs and the international committees Brian Kernz.

Present at the meeting were the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara and the US ambassador in Damascus Theodore Qattouf.

Discussions dealt with the situation in the ME region and the aims of the visit.

The two sides reviewed several regional and international issues, the repercussions of the September 11 events in the US and the Middle east peace process.

Discussions also dealt with the issue of terrorism as an outcome of repercussions of the causes which were not objectively handled.

The Syrian President said that Syria is ready to co-operate in terms of proper circumstances, stressing that stability in the region contributes to ensuring the interests of its states.

The President indicated to the importance of maintaining dialogue.

He indicated that Syria has no conditions for the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace, and that she did not set any conditions earlier except what the world has agreed upon and what is provided for in the United Nations resolutions and the Madrid conference's terms of reference which are the return of all right to their owners.

For their part, members of the visiting Congressmen delegation expressed their satisfaction over what they had heard from President Bashar al-Assad and commended his " wise policy which is based on the understanding of the Arab and Islamic stand."