Syrian- Egyptian summit: al-Assad - Mubarak discuss regional issues

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak held in Damascus on Monday a meeting at al -Shaab Palace where they discussed the Arab situation, the proposed principles and opinions and the way of putting them in a suitable formula in the interest of the joint Arab action.

They listened to a report from the two countries' Foreign Ministers about the outcomes of the Foreign Ministers Meetings of the countries neighboring Iraq.

Both sides discussed the prospective steps which aim at helping Iraq reach a system that expresses the Iraqi people's will and protects its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They discussed also the situation in the occupied Palestinian lands and the provocative Israeli practices. Mubarak stressed Egypt's firm stance of backing Syria's principled stance. He added that the provocations practices and challenges Syria encounters are rejected and unjustified, as well as such practices don't serve the security and stability of the region.

In a statement to SANA reporter, Egyptian Ambassador in Damascus Hazem Khairat stressed that "this visit comes in the framework of the continued coordination and consultation between the two brotherly countries."

He added that this visit stressed the two sides' will to hold the joint Syrian - Egyptian Higher Committee as soon as possible.