Al-Assad confers with Chirac's envoy

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Saturday at the Damascus al-Shaab palace received French President Jacques Chirac's envoy, who is also the director of the Middle East and North Africa department at the French Foreign Ministry, Yves Aubin de La Messuziere and members of the accompanying delegation. Earlier in the day, the Syrian FM conferred with the French envoy in the presence of Syrian FM officials and the French ambassador in Damascus.

Talks dealt with developments in the region, the Israeli air strikes against Lebanon and means of halting this hostile escalation, the need to abide by April Understanding provisions, revitalizing the installed Middle East peace efforts for resuming peace talks on the Middle East from the point at which they broke off and bilateral relations between Syria and France.