DAMASCUS JANUARY 7, 2009- His Excellency President Bashar Al-Assad received yester night a phone call from His French Counterpart, H. E. President Nicolas Sarkozy related to the catastrophic and dangerous conditions in Gaza, as well as to the basic principles discussed regarding means for an immediate halt of the Israeli aggression, ceasefire, the Israeli occupation troops withdrawal from Gaza, and the lifting of the siege.

 Further, His Excellency President Al-Assad called His Highness Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey. President Al-Assad held consultations with the Emir and with  the Prime Minister regarding the necessity for a speedy action as to halt the barbaric Israeli aggression and the crimes committed by Israel against the unarmed Palestinian civilians.

 His Excellency President Bashar Al-Assad received yesterday  evening a phone call from Mr. Mirek Topolanek, the Czech Prime Minister, whose country is the rotating European Union President. The conversation dealt with the developments of conditions at the Palestinian arena in light of the continued escalation of the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip.

 His Excellency President Al-Assad called on Europe, through the Czech Premier, to put the most of possible of pressures on Israel as to halt its war crimes and massacres been committing against the Palestinian People, withdraw from Gaza Strip, and as to lift the unjust siege imposed on the steadfast people of Gaza.

Later on today, H. E. President Bashar Al-Assad received a phone call from His Excellency Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, the President of Comoros. The conversation dealt with the ongoing Israeli massacres against the Palestinian People, and the necessity of rallying Arab efforts as to stop these massacres immediately lifting the siege imposed by Israel  against  Gaza. Presidents Al-Assad and Sambi underlined the necessity for the convening of an Arab Emergent Summit as to adopt a unified Arab stance for halting the continued human catastrophe suffered by the Palestinian People in Gaza.