Al-Assad receives Roman Catholic Church delegation

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad received on Saturday members of the holy synodus of the Roman Catholic Church led by the Patriarch of Antioch and All East Gregorius III Lahham.

Talks during the meeting centered on exchanging views about the significance of the synodus meeting in Syria, about the church's role played in developing society in terms of maintaining dialogue, co-existence and religious fraternity and about conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories and Iraq.

The President was briefed by Patriarch Lahham on issues discussed by the synodus. Al-Assad referred to efforts being made by clergymen in strengthening national unity and in serving the society. He talked about the role churches play in explaining the nation's just causes and in transferring the positive image of the exemplified tolerance in the Syrian community. Patriarch Lahham for his part commended President al-Assad's firm national stances and wished him all success in protecting interests of all categories of the Syrian people.