Al-Assad talks on the telephone with Chirac

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Monday evening received a telephone call from French President Jacques Chirac.

The telephone conversation dealt with conditions in the region and the peace process as well as the ongoing contacts pertaining to it.

The French president expressed his country's interest in maintaining cooperation with the current international efforts aiming at relaunching the Middle East peace talks.

For his part, al-Assad stressed Syria's commitment to the peace process and its principles.