Indian foreign minister describes premier visit to Syria as 'very important'

India's Minister of External Affairs Shri Yashwant Sinha described the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's current visit to Syria as very important for developing the standing bilateral relations and an important step in the way of India's support to the Arabs in general and to Syria and the Palestinian people in particular.

During his meeting with the press delegation accompanying to the Prime Minister, Sinha underlined that Vajpayee's talks with President Bashar al-Assad dealt with the situation in the region, with the bilateral relations and means of developing them.

He renewed the Indian firm stance regarding the necessity for realizing just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East on the basis of the UN Security Council relevant resolutions and "land for peace formula."

He also asserted the necessity for the Israeli complete withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories including Palestine.

Vajpayee pointed out that Syria and India's viewpoints were identical regarding the necessity for restoration of Iraq's sovereignty.