Al-Assad meets Mubarak on regional issues, Mehlis UN report

Syria's President Bashar al- Assad returned back home on Sunday concluding a short visit to Egypt.

Also returned back with the president were Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara and members of the accompanying delegation.

At Cairo International Airport President al-Assad and his companions were seen off by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Ghait, Syria's Ambassador to Cairo Youssef al-Ahmad and the embassy staff.

Earlier, Al-Assad and Mubarak held a bilateral meeting at al-Ittihadieh Palace in Cairo. Both sides discussed the latest developments on the Arab arena particularly in Palestine and Iraq in addition to the current Arab and regional causes.

Talks also dealt with the bilateral relations and the necessity of continuous consultation and coordination between Syria and Egypt. President Al-Assad briefeded Mubarak on results of the visit of head of the UN investigation committee into former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri assassination Detlev Mehlis to Damascus and the Syrian authorities cooperation with him to make his mission a success.

Later, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency Solaiman Awad described the Syrian-Egyptian relations as "deep-rooted."

"Egypt rejects isolation of Syria and putting pressures on her as well calls for maintenance of its security since its security is a part of the region's security," Awad said in a press conference following al-Assad and Mubarak talks.

He expressed Egypt's appreciation for Syria's role which sincerely announced the full cooperation with the UN committee. "It is wrong to point a finger of accusation at Syria or any other side," Awad said stressing the necessity for the UN committee report to be "an independent, objective and neutral."

The Presidential spokesman said that he does not prefer to speak about initiatives or mediation regarding the current Syrian stance but rather to speak about sustained efforts by President Mubarak for securing Syria's cooperation with the international investigation committee.

He said that Egypt cooperates with all parties including Saudi Arabia on a permanent basis adding that Egypt was interested in bringing the Syrian Lebanese relations back to normal.

"We are living in unstable region which is already witnessing points of tension and we are not in need of adding other points as the situation is dangerous and complicated," the Presidential spokesman said adding that Syria's stability is part of the stability of the region.

"The Syrian-Lebanese relations must be invested to serve the Syrian and Lebanese peoples," the spokesman concluded.