On postponing President al-Assad's visit to Russia

A correspondent of the Jordanian daily al-Dostour in Damascus quoted Russian diplomatic sources as saying that the unstable health conditions of Russian President Boris Yeltsin may be behind the postponement of President Hafez al-Assad's visit to Moscow.

In its Monday's issue, al-Dostour ruled out, according to the said sources, other reasons for postponing this visit such as the NATO military operations against Yugoslavia or the difference in the viewpoints concerning certain debated issues.

Al-Dostour continued, quoting media sources, that the postponement was made at the request made by Syria but without clarifying the reason for the postponement and that well-informed sources also ruled out that President al-Assad's health conditions were behind the postponement.

The paper continued that through Saturday President Hafez al-Assad carried out his activities regularly and received four foreign officials during last week.

Al-Dostour added that the same circles linked between postponing the visit and the visit which is currently made by the Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon to Israel, which started in Moscow on Sunday.