Al-Assad receives Iraqi delegation led by governing council member

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad received yesterday an Iraqi delegation headed by Member of Iraqi Transitional Governing Council, Muwafaq al-Rubai. Talks dealt with the current situation on the Iraqi arena and the Syrian-Iraqi relations and the possibility of coordination between both states in various fields.

President al-Assad stressed Syria's support to any effort that serves the Iraqi people's interest in restoring Iraq's independence and sovereignty.

The two sides also stressed the necessity for maintaining Iraq's national unity and integrity.

Later, Vice-President Abdul Halim Khaddam received the Iraqi delegation. Talks during the meeting dealt with the situation in Iraq, the Iraqi people's suffering and the exerted efforts to restore Iraq's independence and sovereignty, ending the occupation and enabling the Iraqi people of exercising their self-determination.

Members of the Iraqi Transitional Governing Council Muwafaq al-Rubai and Yunadim Kina described the meeting of the Iraqi delegation who is recently visiting Syria, with President Bashar al-Assad as frank and fruitful.

In a press conference held today, they stressed that talks during the meeting with President al-Assad dealt with the Iraqi situation and its future to achieve stability and restore its sovereignty as soon as possible.

They also asserted the importance of the visit of the members of the Iraqi Transitional Governing Council to Syria, pointing out to the distinguished and historical relations between the Iraqi and Syrian peoples.