Issam al-Zaem returns to Damascus today

Syrian former minister of industry, Issam al-Zaeem, returns today to Damascus, following more than two months of absence, and almost for the same period that his assets and those of his wife were frozen by the government.

The Syrian ministry of finance had demanded al-Zaeem to bring back 860 million Syrian pounds, the value of a guarantee he had issued, though it was not handed over to the "textile company and the German Bicco Tredden company."

In a telephone call from Rome where he had stayed, al-Zaeem said he is coming today ( Monday) to Damascus, but he did not specify his likely stay in Syria, and preferred not to comment on the course of events at the meantime.

News reports in Damascus said that President Bashar al-Assad formed a high ranking committee to discuss the al-Zaeem issue. Al-Zaeem also got promises at highest levels of the Syrian leadership that he will not be harassed in Syria. al-Zaeem was appointed a minister of planning and then a minister of industry in two successive ministries for the former prime minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro.