Yeltsin for closer cooperation with Syria

Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Genady Tarasov on Tuesday said that developing relations with Syria is a top priority of Russian policy in the Middle East.

He said Russian President Boris Yeltsin showed interest in continuing to reactivate cooperation with Syria, being one of the main parties concerned with the Middle East peace process.

In a news conference on Tuesday, the Russian spokesman said that meetings of the Syrian-Russian joint committee recently held in Damascus constructively discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries and set up ways to develop cooperation in energy, oil, gas, irrigation, transportation, tourism and the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

He expressed hope that results of intensive and fruitful work carried out by the committee, and contracts made during the visit would strengthen Syrian-Russian relations and ties bilateral mutual benefits.