Al-Assad to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife will pay a visit to the State of Vatican to participate in the funeral of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in appreciation of the international outstanding status of the late Pope, and in evaluation of the mutual relationship enhanced during His Holiness's visit to Syria and the president's visit to the Vatican.

Pope John Paul II paid a historical visit to Syria, the cradle of Christianity, in May 2001. The visit was warmly received by all faiths and sectors of the Syrian people. President al-Assad and his wife visited Italy and the State of Vatican in February 2002 and met the pope in the Vatican.