Baroness Simons for cooperation relations between Syria, EU

The British State Minister for Middle East Affairs Baroness Elizabeth Simons said her country and the EU were keen to establish best fruitful, firm relations with Syria.

In an interview published in the London-based Arabic-speaking 'Al-Hayat' daily newspaper in Sunday, Baroness Simons said there was genuine desire for strengthening relations with Syria in all fields, pointing out that the message she sent to President Bashar al-Assad from British Premier Tony Blair during her latest visit to Damascus was part of that tendency.

""I went to Syria with a message from ( Tony Blair ) the Prime Minister in which we expressed desire to strengthen our relations with Syria who we consider as a very important country in the Middle East," the British official stressed.

Baroness Simons added that the EU had sincere desire to boost dialogue with Syria and enhance European-Syrian relations.

She added that the international community had been exerting efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian issue.