Al-Assad meets Egyptian intellectuals

Syrian President Bashar al Assad met yesterday at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis with a number of Egyptian intellectuals and writers. Osama AL Baz, the Political Advisor to the President said President Assad's meeting with intellectuals and thinkers tackled many important issues.

He added that the Egyptian intellectuals asked President Assad a number of questions on how to deal with the challenges.

"President Assad talked about the Iraqi issue, Syria's outlook on the policy adopted by the Palestinian leadership towards Israel and the Saudi peace initiative."

El Baz said that it was too early to talk about a Syrian- Israeli breakthrough because there are no signs from the Israeli side on holding meetings with Syria.

Syrian and Israeli negotiations were stalemated in early 2000 after a brief start over the Israel's refusal to hand over all Syrian occupied land.

El Baz said that talks held between President Hosni Mubarak and the Syrian leader had dealt with the Iraqi issue.

"It is not in the interest of Arabs to have Arab or Islamic countries involved in confrontation," he said. "Iraq is not a terror sponsoring country."