Albright to visit Damascus in mid-August

Arab sources told ArabicNews.com today that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will visit Syria on August 17 in an official visit, during which she is to meet with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa to discuss means of resuming negotiations with Israel.

The Syrian president and Jordan's King Abdullah confirmed during their meeting in Damascus on July 26 the importance of resuming the peace process along all tracks.

The two parties called for abiding by what the concerned parties have agreed upon and for implementing ratified agreements that would secure trust between negotiators in the peace process.