Arabic News Weekly Edition for Syria, 5/17/2004
Weekly Edition, Syria - Week of May 17, 2004
- Syria denies refusing reforms
Syria denied a statement published by Lebanese newspaper as-Safir Friday on rejecting reform initiative submitted by Denmark, describing it as "inaccurate." Syria, Politics, 5/22/2004 - GCC secretary general describes US sanctions on Syria as unacceptable Gulf-Syria, Politics, 5/22/2004
- Syria announces new gas discoveries in Palmyra area
Syria on Thursday declared significant gas findings made by a Croatian oil and gas company in the northern central part and underlined the new gas production would allow Syria to export for the first time quantities of the currently all-locally-consumed amount, a senior official in the Ministry of Oil and Mineral resources said. Syria, Economics, 5/21/2004 - Al-Fahoum: no nearby settlement between Damascus and Fatah
The chairman of the Palestinian national salvation committee, Khaled al-Fahoum, ruled out the possibility of achieving a settlement between Damascus and the leadership of the Fatah movement on their points of difference at the meantime, despite, however, the relative improvement of their bilateral relations. Syria-Palestine, Politics, 5/21/2004 - Syrian urgent Aids to Rafah plagued camp in Gaza
A Syrian Popular group backing the Palestinian Intifada on Thursday sent 60,000 US$ to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency UNRWA to support Palestinians whom their houses were demolished by Israel's forces of occupation at Rafah refugee camp. Syria-Palestine, Politics, 5/21/2004 - Khaddam confers with Iraqi delegation on developments Syria-Iraq, Politics, 5/21/2004
- New financial reforms introduced in Syria
Finance Minister Muhammad al-Hussein on Wednesday said Syria is moving in the correct direction of the financial and tax reform. Syria, Politics, 5/20/2004 - Al-Assad confers with Kuwait's FM
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday received Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah and an accompanying delegation at al-Rawda Palace. Syria-Kuwait, Politics, 5/20/2004 - Syrian Commercial Bank of American banks boycott of correspondence
The Commercial Bank of Syria ( CBS) on Wednesday denied as totally baseless and unfounded the accusations on which the American decision of 11 May was based to prohibit American banks from making any correspondence for the CBS. Syria-USA, Business, 5/20/2004 - Fadlullah and Syria's strategic role Lebanon-Syria, Politics, 5/20/2004
- Free trade zone between Syria - GCC highlighted Syria-Gulf, Politics, 5/20/2004
- A seminar by Syrian opposition in London
The seminar on dialogue on the future of national work in Syria issued a statement on the occasion of concluding a meeting held in London on Sunday, in which it stressed that "honest opposition refused to be empowered against the homeland by the foreigner." It called for lifting the state of emergency and building the country of peaceful transfer of rotating authority. Syria, Politics, 5/18/2004 - Saudi Cabinet and American Sanctions on Syria
Saudi Arabia's Cabinet stressed Monday that the American sanctions on Syria aggravate the situation and disturb stability in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia-Syria, Politics, 5/18/2004 - Morocco, Syria have convergent views on Arab issues, party leader
Assistant secretary general of Syria's Baath Party, Abdellah Al Ahmar, who is leading a delegation of his party on a visit to Morocco, said the two countries have converging views issues of interest to the Arab states. Morocco-Syria, Politics, 5/18/2004 - Obeid: sanctions should be on Israel and not Syria
Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara received Monday Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid. Talks during the meeting dealt with the latest developments in the region, particularly in Iraq and in Palestine. Talks also dealt with issues of mutual concern. Syria-Lebanon, Politics, 5/18/2004 - Burns for continued development of relations with Syria
US Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs William Burns on Monday said that the American administration is keen on the continuation of developing relations with Syria to get the correct ties in the future. Syria-USA, Politics, 5/18/2004 - Al-Shara holds telephone talks with Bin Yahya Syria-Tunisia, Politics, 5/18/2004
- Otari confers with Arab Fund official Syria-Kuwait, Politics, 5/18/2004
- Europe discusses partnership with Damascus despite Washington's sanctions
The European Union has announced it is determined to continue its co-operation with Syria and to finalize an Association Agreement despite the economic sanctions imposed by the US on it, recently. Syria-European Union, Politics, 5/17/2004 - Syrian Official Source at the Interior Ministry interviews Mezza Incident chief executor
An official source at the Syrian Ministry of Interior said Saturday in a statement to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the authorities concerned at the Interior Ministry ended their investigations into the criminal sabotage act which took place on the evening of 27 April in al-Mezza neighborhood, west of Damascus. Syria, Politics, 5/17/2004 - Premier receives Istanbul stock market chairman
Syria's Premier Naji Otari on Sunday received the Chairman of Istanbul Stock Market Othman Bersen and vice-Chairman Huseyin Erkan in the presence of Turkish Ambassador in Damascus. Syria-Turkey, Economics, 5/17/2004 - Venezuelan for boosting relations with Syria Syria-Venezuela, Politics, 5/17/2004
- Syria - EU co-operation in Arab Gas line project
Syria's Oil and Mineral Resources Minister Ibraheem Haddad on Sunday conferred with the Vice Chairman of the European Commission Loyola De Palacio and an accompanying delegation on aspects of cooperation between Syria and EU, particularly in the field of Gas and Petroleum. Syria-European Union, Economics, 5/17/2004