Readings in President Assad’s Visit to Italy
It is indeed a lifetime dream to accompany President Bashar Assad in a trip
abroad. This privilege does enable a journalist to gain first hand knowledge
about how much this young man, the hope for a better tomorrow, enjoys of
international respect, presence, and influence. In Italy, the first by Syrian
President to this country, the presidential plane landed where hundreds of Arabs
and Syrians, were in vigil braving the cold weather since early morning waiting
for the man, who wisely in less than two years proved the continued legacy of
reform, peace, steadfastness and modernization initiated by Syrians late father,
President Hafez Assad. The President was given heroes welcome as a man coming
from the oldest continuously inhabited capital; the cradle of civilization and
of Christianity, the land of history which gave the Roman Empire emperors,
popes, artists, architects, and renowned intellectuals. Rome was excited to
receive the man who came as a messenger of peace and amity in reminiscent of
Saint Paul and of all Syria’s great historic figures throughout ages.
The presidential motorcade crossed the
welcoming historical streets of Rome to the presidential Palace where president
Ciampi and his wife were in waiting for Syria’s matching couple, of whom the
Italian press admiringly spoke. Red-carpeted meeting accompanied by the national
anthems of both great countries; the president reviewed the guards of honor in
their colorful old costumes and chevalier outlook. An enlarged meeting was held
where both presidents voiced deep concern over the difficulties facing the
Mideast region due to the halting of the peace process. President Assad was more
than clear in calling for combating terrorism, sweeping the world in different
forms, through the boosting of political dialogue and shared knowledge of each
others. By that evening, the Italian Senate Chairman and top senators held
friendly talks with the President, who was more than convincing in conveying
Syria’s message of peace, coexistence and dialogue among people. Stress was laid
upon the importance of just and comprehensive peace realization where every
right is restored to the legitimate owners in line with Syria’s strong-held
believe and principle.
In the second day, the president addressed the Governor of Rome and the Italian
Parliament Speaker with unique language of shared history and joint interest in
peace, cooperation, friendship flavored with touching emotions and rational
reasoning. His Excellency spoke of the Syrian-Italian deep rooted historic
relations where ‘’ both civilizations were mingled together,” and where each,
with its own features, gave birth to “ a unique example of civilization
integration” and joint interaction. President Assad spoke admiringly of the
great Italian Civilization; among its pioneers were the Damascene Appolodore,
emperors, popes, architects, engineers, writers and many others. The president
called for the more of human cooperation and communication as to formulate
perfect relations among all people as for all to live in peace and coexistence.
At noon, the president held talks with Italy’s Prime Minister on ways and means
of bolstering economic, technical and technological cooperation between both
countries in their joint interest; Premier Berlusconi extended a helping hand of
contribution to the bolstering of the ongoing process of reform and
modernization in Syria especially in the fields of banking and tourism. Three
agreements for investment promotion, environment protection, and tourism
cooperation were signed following the meeting. Sharon’s ongoing policy of
escalation and killing did shelve any talk about the chances of just and
comprehensive peace realization.
The third day of the visit witnessed a meeting between His Excellency, the
president, and a delegation representing Syrian and Italian businessmen. The
meeting covered issues related to development and reform issues including
economic and tourist relations. Focus was put on cooperation in the fields of
railways, shipping, gas, oil, natural conservatories, agricultural food
productions, and investment promotion. Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade,
Dr. Ghassan Al-Rifai, announced expected Syria’s next month accession to the
International Agency of Investment Insurance in promotion of investment
opportunity and security. The minister noted to the importance of setting up a
joint Syrian-Italian Businessmen council, taking an advantage of Syria’s free
zones, joint companies foundation, Italian companies participation in Syria’s
calls for tender, trade volume increase and Italian exports increase too.
Tourism Minister, Dr. Saa’d Allah Agha Al-Qalaa’, who represented the president
to a ceremonial presentation of a symbolic plateau gift depicting victory and
peace, announced the interest of the Italian side in supporting President
Assad’s led process of reform and modernization through different integrated
initiatives to provide experience and technology for scores of sectors in Syria
including the fields of banking and cadre training. Actually, the beehive-like
delegation accompanying the president, including Syria’s veteran Foreign
Minister and ministers of economy, culture, and tourism, was around the clock
immersed in intensive rounds of talks and visits in cementing the friendly
relations of cooperation with Italy. The talks touched upon the importance of
boosting the Syrian tourist sector as to attract Italian tourist groups to
Syria’s tourist sites and resorts, which the minister of tourism cited and spoke
of. An agreement was reached as to bring life to the Silk Road, organize joint
weeks for tourism, archaeological sites perseverance and rehabilitation,
experience exchange, and as to set up a special faculty or an Italian University
branch specialized in tourism and hotels in Syria.
Actually, Syria’s long defended and sacrificed for national causes were present
on President Assad’s hectic agenda. A meeting was held with Lebanese Premier,
Rafiq Hariri. The meeting came out of the President’s around the clock indulgent
in Arabs’ national interests and preoccupations as a further step on the way of
boosting Arab solidarity and oneness of common destiny and future. Syrian
Community, dear to the president’s heart, met the president in a bid to cement
bilateral relations between Italy and the Motherland. As the President aspires,
members of the Syrian and Arab community abroad should be true messengers and
ambassadors for their respective countries and for their one homeland.
The visit was crowned with a meeting between two messengers of peace and mercy;
His Holiness John Paul the Second, who was in a spiritual worship, met the man,
whom he did admire and praise even before His Holiness met him in less than a
year. It was a meeting for history records. The President presented the Pontiff
a unique copy of Quraa’n, the Holy book of Islam, the religion of ‘’justice,
equality and of forgiveness’’, the bad news of escalations and killings coming
from the occupied territories did raise the concern of both men for stability,
peace and tranquillity reminiscent of the bad news coming from the same
territories upon His Holiness visit to the ruins of a Church in the liberated
steadfast city of Quneitra. The meeting between two messengers of peace crowned
the visit with the more of success; it was a spiritual meeting between two
strong believers in the true sublime teachings of religion. His Holiness shared
President Assad’s concerns and interests in the importance of just and
comprehensive realization. The Pontiff reiterated that no peace could be
realized in Middle East without the implementation of related UN resolutions.
In the meantime, Syria’s First Lady was very busy in her schedule of working
visits, not to mention her joint activities with the president, as a typical
example for the Syrian Arab woman, whose status was acquired after late
president’s more than thirty years of struggle. Syria’s First Lady, under whose
patronage, an archaeological agreement was signed, spoke eloquently of the
historical deep rooted relations between Syria and Italy citing the recent
Italian contributions to the unearthing of Ebla findings stressing the pivotal
importance of bolstering cultural cooperation among the people of both
civilizations. The First Lady paid a visit to a kindergarten in Rome, and to a
museum. She held a meeting with Syrian Women Community in Rome; in her meetings
she was an outspoken woman of Syria’s modern woman of today. The human,
artistic, archaeological, reform, cultural, technological, and modernization
aspects were part and parcel of her activities.
To the dismay of some, the visit by all accounts was but another success to the
Syrian wise principled policy. It is a further step forward on the way of
bolstering Syria’s relations with EU countries following President Assad’s past
successful visits to France, Spain and Germany. It is a further boosting to the
importance of opting for just and comprehensive peace on the basis of related
resolutions and terms of reference away from violence and bloodletting. It is a
message to expand human relations and international cooperation via all possible
means as to combat terrorism, an international plague, diametrically different
from the struggle for liberation and freedom. It is a further push to a more
active European political role in the region affair not to mention its
stimulation of a future balanced Syrian-Euro partnership agreement. Had Zanobya,
the Queen of Palmyra, spoken, she would have said that some of the past glory
had been indeed restored through such a remarkable visit.
By
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim
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