2008
“Our gathering on the occasion of the blessed Christmas is not as to address messages that we in Syria live in fraternity, tolerance and coexistence; because Syria for long did overcome such terms. We are here together as part of our Syrian Social Texture, our civilization and of our history. We, as Syrians, have to transfer what we have to the entire world,”
From His Excellency Christmas Address, (December 25, 2008)
“The role of Syria is linked to her historic and civilizational position, and to her rich heritage, which proves that Syria has ever been, and across all times, the ideal example to be followed. The power of Syria lies in her civilization depth, in her Islamic and Christian components, as well as in the power of the Syrian Man with his/her continuity across history phases,”
From His Excellency Christmas Address, (December 25, 2008)
“We in Syria are born monotheists; we are the natural pattern for society, humanity and for relations among religions. We have to give the ideal example not only for relations among religions, not only for Nationalism, but, further, through a more sublime and comprehensive thing represented in the humanity.”
From His Excellency Christmas Address, (December 25, 2008)
“Every party or state who want to play a role in the region should pass through Syria,”
From His Excellency Al-Hawadeth Magazine Interview (September 30, 2008)
“The traditions of the Syrian Christians and Moslems’ living peacefully together is one of the most important characteristic of our people; we have also a Jewish Community. In Syria live many of the Russians. The most ancient Church exists in Damascus.”
From His Excellency Interview with the Russian Gazeta Daily (August 20-21, 2008)
“Any country that has an interest to settle Mideast problems has to dialogue with Syria,”
From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)
“Syria is a very important country in the region, the Arab and regional surrounding; and has ever played her positive role in finding solutions for the region issues.”
From His Excellency Statements in India (June 18th, 2008)
2007
“What Syria witnesses of harmony among her citizens is derived from the prevailing domestic peace inside every one of us, which , in turn, makes the society live in harmony and concord.” said President Assad.
From HE’s Christmas Speech ( December 25th, 2007)
“Syria always disseminates messages to others through amity, fraternity, mercy and peace prevailing among her citizens.” said President Assad.
From HE’s Christmas Speech ( December 25th, 2007)
“No, they cannot isolate Syria. Isolating Syria does not mean that you do not have visitors or that they do not talk to you; isolating Syria means that Syria is not active in any issue. Can they solve any problem without Syria? That is the question that they have to answer. If the answer is yes, they would not say that we have to play a better role or to show different behavior. If we are not important and isolated, they would not care about Syria. So, they cannot isolate Syria. It is a matter of time and substance because in substance they cannot isolate Syria.”
From H. E. ’s BBC Interview ( October 1, 2007)
2003
“Damascus is the most ancient inhabited city in the world, in which life continued throughout thousands of years.”
From HE’s Speech at the Municipality of Athens, Greece, ( December 11, 2003)
"Damascus is proud of being the starting point of the preaching of Christianity. The salvation of Saint Paul took place near Damascus, and in a place which has become a well known church he was rescued at the hands of Hanania, the first bishop of Damascus,"
From HE’s Speech at the Municipality of Athens, Greece, ( December 11, 2003)
“Damascus is proud in being the Capital of the Islamic State in the peak of its glory, at the time when features of Greek culture began to interact with Arab Islamic culture, thus giving the best fruits of civilization. " In the framework of the same dialogue, we look forward to communication between the two cities through exchanges of visits and through meetings and agreements."
Speech at the Municipality of Athens, Greece, ( December 11, 2003)
“We are glad that you are today our dear guests in Damascus, this ancient city which is one of the glorious Arab cities from which Arab glory emerged carrying its message to the farthest corners of the world in the shape of civilization, values, and human principles. In the heart of this glorious city and throughout its long history, the fine feeling of the importance of contacts with other peoples grew on the basis of taking and giving and of mutual respect and esteem. Syria, on the basis of that, always aspires to carry out its role with trust and confidence.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Spanish King , ( October 21, 2003)
2002
“Geographic distance between countries has never been an obstacle to creating fruitful relationships and throughout history, we have established relations in different domains between our two countries. The Phoenicians reached the British shores in 1100 B.C. and the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus, who is of Syrian origin, is buried in the city of York when both countries were part of the Roman Empire. I n the 16th century commercial relations flourished between Syria and Britain. An agreement signed with the Ottoman Empire, which included Syria at the time, allowed English traders to take residence in the Northern city of Aleppo and Syrian traders to take residence in Manchester. It is through this agreement that the great English poet, William Shakespeare, learned of Aleppo and mentioned it in his play, Othello,”
From HE’s Speech at the Municipality of London , ( December 17, 2002)
"So I said to the Pope that your pilgrimage was not completed until you visited Damascus because Christianity, although it appeared in Palestine, we protected and then went to the world from Damascus. But he said to me Syria was part of the Roman Empire. I said to him it is the contrary because we gave the Roman Empire eight Popes and five emperors."
From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)
"We have a very common history. You know Caracalla path in Rome! Caracalla was one of the Syrian Emperors."
From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)
“Moreover, Christianity moved from Damascus to the Greek territory and later spread throughout the Roman Empire by Saint Paul whose famous epistles are well preserved by the Church.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Greece President , (February 2, 2002)
“We have in our country a decades old Greek community, participating in public life and enjoying respect. Over the years there came to be links of kinship and love among members of the community and Syrian families.”
From HE’s Speech Welcoming the Greece President , (February 2, 2002)
2001
“Our bilateral relations date back to the days of the Syrian Phoenicians , whose civilization linked the Mediterranean states together, and made of the Mediterranean a bridge of communication among its people, allowing the movement and transfer of trade architecture, open-minded and tolerant thought between our two countries. Damascus, for thousands of years, has been the most ancient city of history, the cradle of Christianity, from where Apostle Paul started to spread the preaching of Jesus and of His principles of amity and tolerance. Damascus is further the capital of the Umayyad State, the first Islamic State, stretching from China to Spain spreading the preaching of Islam, based on the principles of tolerance, justice, fraternity and equity. Thus, Damascus has witnessed the construction of the first churches in history; in Damascus stands the Umayyad Mosque, the most ancient as far as its size and its architecture. Thousands of Damascus scholars from have transferred their education and knowledge to the world contributing to the human development; when the hospitals of Damascus used to treat the sick from all the Umayyad State. Further, Damascus has presented the world her Damascene Sword, the symbol for excellent work, her Damascene textile, the symbol for art and excellence, her Damascene Flower, the symbol for amity.”
From H. E. ‘ s Speech at the Municipality of Paris, France, (June 25, 2001)
“Damascus is indeed proud of her Straight Street, the longest and oldest street, within a populated city, in the world.”
From H. E. ‘ s Speech at the Municipality of Paris, France, (June 25, 2001)
"While visiting Syria you are treading the land of history, the homeland which hosted the most ancient civilizations in the world, and was a beacon which spread its light towards humanity throughout many centuries during which most regions of the world obtained guidance from its light. From Syria, which protect Christianity after Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul proceeded, preaching, with the other Disciples of Christ, the new religion in various parts of the world and calling for fraternity, justice and equality."
From HE’s Welcome Speech welcoming His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, on his arrival in Damascus, (May 5th, 2001)
"From Syria as well Islam spread throughout the world advocating justice, love and equality among human beings with no distinction between one and another except by God fearing. Today, Your Holiness arrive as a dear guest among a people all of them worship the only God, solicit the help of Almighty, live together in amity and harmony, work for the high standing and prosperity of their homeland, and are proud of their ancient past and of the several civilizations of their ancestors which left for them a rich historic heritage that made of Syria a homeland of tolerance and love and sanctuary for the persecuted as well as a meeting point of heavenly religions that have spread incessantly throughout history. This is confirmed by the many relics of worship houses in various parts of Syria, the pontification of eight Popes from Syria to the Holy See in the Vatican, and the Presence of the Headquarters of three Oriental Patriarchates in Damascus. "
From HE’s Welcome Speech welcoming His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, on his arrival in Damascus, (May 5th, 2001)
“Humanity with its vast and original meaning is not confined to borders nor dispersed by peoples and that the Spanish people through this exhibition prove their respect to history and civilization. Damascus is the meeting place for divine religions and was the capital of the Umayyad's state in the past and the capital of Syria at the present time, noting that Damascus follows up closely this great demonstration about the Arab culture in Andalusia where amity prevailed, where al-Sham- Andalus relations have been developed into an Arab- Andalusia relations and these relations are presumed to develop through the Syrian- Spanish relations and Arab- European relations.”
From HE’s press conference with the Spanish Premier, ( May 3, 2001 )
“We come from Damascus, the oldest continuously inhabited capital of history as to participate with you in this grand activity, through which the Spanish people prove its great respect for civilization and history, as to view together the great heritage inherited from our ancestors, in testimony for our shared history, which, in turn, proves that humanity, in its real meaning and original essence, is vast without borders nor can be separated by race or people. Damascus is the meeting point for monotheistic religions, the capital of the Umayyad State in the past, and presently the capital of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
From H. E. ‘ s Speech at the opening ceremony of Cordoba Museum, Spain, ( May 3, 2001)
“Syria has been, in light of her geographic location, the homeland for tens of civilizations; it is in Syria where agriculture appeared first, metallurgy invented, normal, decorated and colorful clay made first, the first alphabet, the first dictionaries, the first musical note appeared. All of this represents a developed society keen on documentation as to communicate with consequent generations and the then existent people in other places. Such a search for the communication has motivated the Arab Syrians as to transfer their talented inventions to other people.”
From H. E. ‘ s Speech at the opening ceremony of Cordoba Museum, Spain, ( May 3, 2001)
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