Al-Shara and Svoboda joint press conference in Damascus

Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara on Sunday held a press conference with his Czech counterpart Cyril Svoboda, during which both sides discussed a number of important issues on the regional and international arenas, and issues of mutual concern.

Czech Foreign Minister said he held important talks with President Bashar al-Assad stressing that Syria plays a pivotal role in the Middle East. Concerning Iraq, Svoboda said that it is very important for Iraqis to regain their rights in running their own affairs.

About the partnership Association between Syria and European Union, he added that his country backs Syria's joining the agreement describing this step as very positive.

Al-Shara, for his part, described the Syrian-Czech ties as good and deeply rooted adding that Czech's joining the EU, in next May, will make it ( Czech ) an effective member, thus playing a role in the achievement of just and comprehensive peace.

About the partnership association, al-Shara said that Syria is ready to sign the agreement soon,welcoming the declaration of British Premier Tony Blair in which Blair denied any provisions on the draft association.

Concerning weapons of mass destruction, al-Shara said that the Syrian initiative available at the UN Security Council would make the Middle East a region free of mass destruction is the true way to solve the the problem of these weapons in the region.

" Syria, and Arabs in general, are willing to achieve the just and comprehensive peace, they launched the initiative of the year 2002, and we think the forthcoming Arab summit, scheduled in Tunis, will reaffirm it," Shara added.

Answering another question, al-Shara said that the project of reforming Arab League aims at insisting on the commitment of the League's countries to implement its resolutions and to give the project the utmost importance for enhancing the economic ties among Arab states.