Al-Assad receives messages from Mubarak, Yeltsin

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Sunday received Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and members of the accompanying delegation at the Damascus al-Shaab presidential palace.

Moussa conveyed to President al-Assad a message from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Talks during the meeting which was attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa dealt with Arab affairs, issues connected to the Middle East peace process and its latest developments and matters of common interest.

Earlier in the day, President al-Assad received the Russian deputy foreign minister and President Boris Yeltsin's envoy, Vassily Serdin.

The Russian envoy conveyed to President al-Assad a message from President Yeltsin. Talks dealt with bilateral relations and the latest developments concerning the Middle East peace process.

The Russian envoy expressed his country's satisfaction over the recent developments of the process on the Syrian - Israeli peace track. He expressed the Russian preparedness as a main peace cosponsor to make any positive contribution to achieving peace. Earlier, al-Sharaa received a message sent by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. During his meeting with Serdin, al-Sharaa highlighted the latest developments of the Middle East peace process in light of resuming negotiations between Syria and Israel and with the role played by Russia as a cosponsor of peace.

In a press conference held later in the day, Serdin commended the conventional and historical relations of friendship and cooperation between Syria and Russia, calling for the enhancement of these relations to serve common interests.

He described his visit to Syria as "fruitful and constructive," expressing Russia's satisfaction over the resumption of talks on the Syrian-Israeli peace track.

The Russian envoy said that Moscow will exert good efforts to establish a just and comprehensive peace based on implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425 in line with the Madrid terms of reference and the land-for-peace formula.