Russia: relations with Syria needs to be even better than before

Syrian-Russian relations have witnessed a remarkable progress during last years, a report by Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said Tuesday.

"Our duty is not only to go back to the previous level of bilateral cooperation, but we have to exceed and enhance it," SANA quoted President Vladimir Putin of Russia as depicting ties between the two countries.

SANA's political editor added that Russian people see that the heritage of bilateral relations is "very precious and valuable" for them and that both peoples should keep and double it because it has a great strategic importance.

"Those relations have been expanded to cover the personal field where thousands of different marriages had been made between Russian and Syrian peoples in addition to the cultural and spiritual links" the report added.

It said that during the long-decades cooperation, 63 projects have been achieved in Syria in cooperation with the former Soviet Union including huge projects such as al-Furat Dam station for generating electricity, al-Baath station and Tishreen power plant station in addition to several gas and petroleum stations which play a pivotal role in the Syrian economy.

The Editor added that both countries have developed cooperation in the economic, trade and technical fields where both sides signed an agreement on avoiding double taxation.

He said that efforts of the two countries meet together to enhance bilateral relations in all fields and to provide demands of security and stability in the Middle East in a way to achieve development and prosperity in the region and the world.