Bashar al-Assad confers with Abu Dhabi's crown prince

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is also the commander of the armed forces, received Bashar al-Assad, son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, on Monday in Abu Dhabi.

Present at the meeting were high-ranking UAE officials. Talks dealt with "bilateral relations between Syria and the UAE and means of boosting them in various areas." The two sides also discussed current developments on the Arab and international arenas.

The Abu Dhabi crown prince asked Bashar to convey his greetings and good wishes to President Hafez al-Assad and best wishes for further progress of the Syrian people.

The UAE news agency said that Sheikh Khaleifa held a luncheon in honor of Bashar. It was attended by high-ranking UAE officials, Maher al-Assad (the younger son of President al-Assad), Manaf Tlass (son of Syrian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass) and other officials representing the two sides.

Later in the day, Bashar and members of the accompanying delegation left the UAE following a one-day visit, during which they met with UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan.

Bashar also attended during this visit the opening ceremony of Dubai 2000 International Aerosapce Exhibition.