Al-Assad confers with EIB delegation

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday at the Damascus al-Shaab palace received the director general of loans operation at the European Investment Bank and the chairman of the EIB's Middle East department Mrs. Jane Mackferson.

The meeting was attended the EU head of delegation in Damascus March Pierini.

The two sides reviewed prospects of future cooperation between Syria and the European Investment bank.

Al-Assad expressed his satisfaction over the level of the relations existed between the two sides and hoped consolidation of these relations. The EIB chief expressed readiness to meet Syria's desire to strengthening this relation and boosting progress and development.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian prime minister met with the EIB delegation in the presence of Mr. Piereini and the chairman of the state's planning commission Tawfiq Ismael.

Discussions dealt with means of developing existing cooperation relations between Syria and the European Union in all economic, trade, cultural and banking sectors through maintaining the Syrian- European partnership and revitalizing joint investment atmospheres and financing certain projects by the EIB in the areas of electricity, health, land transport, telecommunications and developing the infrastructure of the port of Tartous and revitalizing the role played by businessmen and the investors and the private sector to contribute to the process of developments taking place in Syria in all walks of life.

The prime minister underlined the importance of cooperation relations between the two sides through founding joint projects for the benefits of the two sides and for serving pan comprehensive development taking place in Syria under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.