Al-Assad meets Bin Alawi; British parliamentary delegation

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Monday in Damascus received Oman's foreign minister Youssef Bin Alawi and members of the accompanying delegation.

The meeting was attended by the deputy premier and foreign minister Farouk al-Shara and Oman's ambassador in Damascus.

Bin Alawi conveyed a message from Sultan Qabous Bin Saeed of Oman to President Bashar al-Assad relating to developments in the Arab region.

Talks dealt with bilateral relations between the two states and means of strengthening them.

Later in the day, President al-Assad received a British parliamentary delegation composed of Collin Red, Robert Jackson; Philis Starky, Lord Right and Maria Hault.

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

Discussions dealt with conditions in the region, their developments and stances concerning the threats directed to Iraq.

The president indicated that there is in general a dialogue in the world on the role played by the UN to finding a solution for the Iraqi case and that Syria will work, together with other UN members to strengthen this role and avoid Iraq any harm that might be inflected on it.

Al-Assad stressed the need that any resolution by the UN to be taken by the UN Security Council should rule out the military action against Iraq.

For their part, members of the British delegation stressed that there is a general consensus in Britain and Europe, in general that the question of war and peace, the question of Iraq, the conflicts taking place in the Middle East all should be dealt with through the UN. They stressed Syria's key role in this respect.

Discussions also dealt with bilateral relations between Syria and Britain and prospects of parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. Members of the delegation expressed their desire to continue boosting relations with Syria.

By the end of the meeting, members of the visiting delegation expressed their admiration over the current development and renovation process in Syria, under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad; and Britain's interest to take part in this process.