PRESIDENTS AL-ASSAD- CHAVEZ PRESS CONFERENCE (June 26, 2010)

Caracas, Venezuela, SANA_ Nine agreements, understanding memos and protocols for cooperation in the economic, agricultural, tourism and scientific fields were inked between Syria and Venezuela on Sunday in the presence of Presidents Bashar Al-Assad and Hugo Chavez. Following the signature Presidents Al-Assad and Chavez held a joint press conference.

 President Al-Assad said nothing links the two countries as the popular and human link which is mainly represented by the expatriates.

 He added that talks with President Chavez addressed the Middle East and Latin America issues, pointing to Venezuela's fair positions towards the regional issues and the similar aspirations and challenges which combine the two regions.

 The President said Syria is seeking a strategic relationship with the Latin America continent which starts between Syria and Venezuela to link two peoples who have similar strong desire in independence of the national decision and rejection of foreign dictations.

 The President added:" We must be strong, because the world respects only the strong peoples and their national and common interests," saying that strength factors stem from the national unity, independent national decision and not being isolated from friends and others.

 President Al-Assad considered that the activation of the agreements signed between Syria and Venezuela needs maritime transport means and expanding the standing relations, pointing out that Syria can be Venezuela's gate to Asia and Eastern Mediterranean, while Venezuela can be Syria's marine gate towards its relationship with the Latin America.

 He called on the Syrian community in Venezuela to play a direct and effective role to bolster these relations in both directions and remove the obstacles that hinder its progress.

 The President said the aim of his tour of Latin America was to boost political and economic relations and ties with the Syrian communities in this region.

 He stressed on the need to practically link relations between the two blocs and expand the economic interests and stimulate the Syrian community there to help explaining the political position to societies and peoples in the Latin America and to contribute in building strong basis for economic relations.

 President Al-Assad said that he and President Chavez discussed the two countries' national issues and common interests and concerns.

 He said the Israeli government is an extremist government and tries to inflame wars and problems in the region, pointing to Israel's Judaization of Jerusalem, the expulsion of the native Palestinian population from their lands and homes and application of the apartheid policy.

 He added the assault on the Freedom Flotilla when Israeli troops attacked a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was another flagrant and clear evidence about Israeli crimes and the inability to make peace with it. "Israel was originally set up on terrorism," the President clarified.

 President Al-Assad said: "President Chavez and I utterly agree on supporting resistance and the right to resist for all peoples whose rights are violated and lands occupied and rejecting to describe the resistance with terrorism that has one synonymous which is Israel."

 He added that Syria is against wars and siege, considering the resistance as an alternative solution in a case of the failure of negotiations.

 He added, "It is not possible to set up trade and economic relations without financial facilitation especially banks. There are obstacles because of far distance; however, there is a strength which is the humanitarian bridge between the two countries.

 The President added: I spoke with President Chavez on many issues, the Middle East and its many accumulated complexities and the political situation in Latin America which is characterized by high political dynamic besides the big changes, especially in recent years.

 President Al-Assad expressed his wish to pay this visit a time ago not only for the relationship that binds him with President Chavez, and not only for his brave and fair positions towards the regional issues, but mainly because Venezuela has become for the Arab region, the Arab world and the Arab people a symbol of resistance and revolt against the tyranny and colonialism.

 He noted that Venezuela gave birth to many of the famous leaders like Simon Bolivar, who led the great Battles of liberation in more than one country in Latin America continent including Venezuela and courageous President Chavez who is known for his bold positions and standing by just causes of peoples anywhere in the world, and the Arab causes mainly.

 The President said I began the visit from Venezuela for many reasons that bring us together with Venezuela… Venezuela is the essence and main pivot of Syria's relationship with Latin America, where we share our common aspirations and similar challenges and sometimes we were together in a feud with certain states…of course we did not look for the feud, but these countries are the ones that put us in a position of the adversary.

 The President added that Venezuela took its position and adopted stances that can not be erased from the memory of any Arab citizen, such as its position towards the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006 that claimed the lives of more than one thousand innocent civilians and the second position is towards the Israeli war on Gaza using phosphorus bombs to kill more than 1500 innocent civilians, most of them women and children.

 President Al-Assad pointed out that Venezuela and President Chavez have become a symbol for resistance and dignity, asserting that Syria is seeking a ''strategic relation with Latin America, which starts from the strategic relation between Syria and Venezuela,'' citing the strong desire linking People in independence as well as in rejection of foreign dictations.

  ''Latin America has passed very advanced steps for gaining full independence, represented in national independence. Thus, Venezuela and President Chavez have a big role in the changes taken place recently during the last ten years in this Continent as a whole,'' added President al-Assad.

 President Al-Assad pointed out that the world respects but the strong and that there is no place, respect, or interests favoring for the weak, asserting that his current visit underscores the strength of the relations between Syria and Venezuela.

 President Al-Assad spoke of different fields of cooperation between Syria and Venezuela enumerating some signed bilateral agreements for cooperation, expressing the hope that Venezuela would be 'Syria's maritime gate to Latin America' and Syria would be ' Venezuela's gate for Asia and East Mediterranean'' following the launching of a maritime line between Syria and Venezuela.

 President Al-Assad asserted the need for joint production starting with Syria Olives manufacturing, calling on the Syrian expatriates to play an active direct role, given their knowledge of the two cultures and languages, as to bolster the Syrian-Venezuelan relations.

 President Al-Assad described his meeting with President Chavez as ' very rich' not only because the ''Middle East and Latin America regions are full of events, but because the talks were held with freedom and independence focusing at our national causes, joint interests and concerns.''

 ''We are faced with an Israeli government which has not worked in a single day, and will not, as to give the Palestinian People their independent state…In practice this is an extremist government, seeking to ignite wars, spread unrest and problems in the region; what is taking place in Gaza and the siege on the Palestinian People for many years: a million an a half besieged, with no minimum availability of the needed for basic requirements of life for any human being,'' said President al-Assad.

 President Al-Assad added that there is also the Judaization of Jerusalem by this Israeli government, expelling the Arab Palestinian citizens, the indigenous population of Palestine, from their land and houses, as to bring in imported population from overseas to dwell instead of them! They talk about a democratic state and a Jewish state at the same time; in this there is big contradiction: how a state can be democratic for all who are in it: Arabs, Moslems and Christians, and be only a Jewish! Such a talk in practice is impossible only if Israel wants to give a new model in democracy, to be called the democracy of racial discrimination!''

  ''The Israeli forces aggression against the Freedom Flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, is another clear-cut proof for the criminality of Israel, and the improbability of peace with this state, which was basically based on terrorism,'' added President al-Assad.

 President Al-Assad declared that he and President Chavez are fully in concordant on support for the resistance and the right of the people whose rights are violated and territories occupied to resistance saying: '' Labelling the resistance with terrorism is unacceptable. Terrorism for us is the Middle East is one word which has a single synonym; that is Israel particularly. Consequently, we believe in negotiations as a normal way for peace; we are not with wars, or with siege. But when the negotiations fail to achieve the peace, the resistance is the alternative solution, and our duty is to support it.''

 President Al-Assad added that the Iranian nuclear file was one of the issues discussed during the talks hailing the recently concluded tripartite agreement between Iran, Turkey and Brazil, in reflection of Iran's flexibility, warning against a future application of today's applied on Iran's peaceful nuclear reactors on every developing country.

 In reply to a question about the hoped for results of his tour of Latin America, President Al-Assad pointed out that the tour includes three aspects: political, economic and the Syrian communities present in Latin America. As far as the political aspect, President Al-Assad asserted that Latin America countries historically support Arab Causes and the tour is further to explain our Causes as to gain the more of support for our causes.

 ''We have to expand our economic interests, especially under the international economic crisis, and with the rising of Latin America Countries, the opportunity would be more ripe to bolster these relations,'' added President Al-Assad underscoring the role of the Syrian expatriates in helping the Syrian political stance comprehensibility, explaining it through their presence in the society and countries of Latin America, and also with the same contribution greatly in the building of strong bases for the economic relations.

 For his part, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed his people's happiness over President al-Assad's visit.

 "It's a great honor that President Al-Assad has made Venezuela his first visit on his tour to this part of the Atlantic Ocean," President Chavez said.

 He continued that Arab and Latin American peoples are not only similar, but "we also share the same spirituality, the same cultural depth and diversity and the same faith. We hold in our geography and communities a power which has begun to strongly contribute in saving the world and will continue to do so in the coming years."

 "President Al-Assad explained to me the developments in the Middle East. Never before have I known as I have today. Today there is a new map in the Middle East made by the courageous people and leaderships of the Middle East such as Syria," the Venezuelan President added.

 He described the former US administration's policy as "a wrongful policy" that failed, adding that the people and governments of the Middle East, particularly Syria, have drawn up the new map for the Middle East.

 He reiterated Venezuela's continued support to the just causes of the Mideast people.

 President Chavez continued "Imperialism is desperate. It is now threatening the use of force as it has been doing for years. It is also now resorting to its allies such as Israel to launch attacks on the Palestinian people, Arab people and the peoples of the world."

 "All countries must have sovereignty. We have to strive for the sake of people's sovereignty and independence of decision, and now we in the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean have to play a key role to this effect," said President Chavez, referring to the alliance between Damascus and Caracas which he described as "the axis of the brave and free people and the new world."

 The Venezuelan President said that he and President Al-Assad discussed bilateral relations, stressing that they both count on the Syrian and Venezuelan expatriate communities and senior officials to intensify efforts to realize the integration of Caracas-Damascus and Syria-Venezuela.

 President Chavez announced that he will visit Damascus before the end of 2010 to push forward bilateral relations.

 We have to benefit from the Syrian expertise in textile industry which is deep-rooted in Syria, President Chavez said, adding that Syria and Venezuela have signed an agreement to import Syrian olive oil to meet the needs of Venezuelan people, saying that the first batch is now in Venezuelan markets.

 The president said a joint olive oil factory will be set up in Syria. Its production will be exported to the Middle East and Europe. We should have a joint mercantile fleet benefiting from Syria's location on the Mediterranean and being a gate to Asia, the Middle East, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and Ukraine, Chavez added.

 He added that the two sides reviewed the construction of oil refinery in Homs. "We have started technical studies. Production capacity will be around 145,000 barrel per day. Venezuela will send the fuel and diesel required to overcome difficulties."

 He said Venezuela will contribute 33 percent of the project's capital. This contribution may reach 45 percent, adding that he will lay the foundation stone for this step during his next visit to Syria. The refinery will start operation in 2013.

 A number of petrochemical factories and natural gas processing and dissolution plants will be set up around the refinery, he said.

 A Syrian-Venezuelan fund to finance USD 100 million projects will be established. Venezuela will support Syrian businessmen by promoting easy loans and import substitution industrialization to boost Syrian-Venezuelan trade exchange.

 Syrian-Venezuelan industries and companies are to be established in Venezuela to provide economic and financial support for this net.

 President Chavez said, ''We have to invest in Syria and increase the production of olives and apples, establish joint companies and move ahead in the fields of energy, medicine, sciences, finance and tourism.

 He called for exchanging scientific expeditions, establishing joint companies, airlines and maritime lanes as well as achieving production integration between the two countries as Syria has harbours and rivers and a special position between the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

  ''Golan will return to the Syrian people because it belongs to them. We do not want more wars and someday the Israeli government will be put in its place after it has been turned into an arm to imperialism which threatens all the peoples,'' Chavez added.

 Answering a question on the refinery to be set up in Homs, Chavez said, ''The cornerstone of the project will be put soon and there will be a new refinery,'' stressing Venezuela's support to Syria and all friendly countries and indicating that the Venezuelan oil will reach Syria.

 On the developments in the Middle East and Latin America and the receding US influence in both, President Chavez said, ''The US influence has diminished in Latin America politically and economically, and the same happened in the Middle East, where the US has attempted to come up with a new Middle East .The project failed, Israel and the US are now isolated.''

 Chavez stressed that future will ensure balance in humanity and will save the world from unipolarism and imperialism. This guarantees a free and democratic world where peace and respect prevail.

Later on in a remarkable address to the Syrian community, June 27, 2010, President Al-Assad said that it is natural that President Chavez attends such a meeting "because you as Syrian expatriates belong to Syria as much as you belong to Venezuela, and you defend your causes as much as President Chavez defends them," adding that its is not strange that President Chavez has been called "the Arab Leader" because of his support for Arab causes.

The President said that Venezuela has always treated Arab immigrants as if they were its sons, giving them all rights, and it has never treated them on the basis of race or religion.

President Al-Assad said that this attitude established the link between the Arab nation and Latin America, noting that this human link is the strongest that can be established between any two countries or regions.

"We don't know much about Latin America except that it stands by our side on the public level in support of the Palestinian cause," the President said, adding that no Arab citizen will ever forget this attitude of the people and countries of Latin America, which is at least 10, 000 km away from the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, while all over the past decades the world has been totally indifferent or acted against the interests of the Arab people whose land was usurped.

President Al-Assad added that President Chavez has always been known for his steadfastness and bravery in facing challenges and pressures and defending his country's issues and the just causes of the Arab nation.

President Al-Assad said Venezuela supported the Lebanese people as it took a firm historical stance when Israel launched a hostile attack against them in 2006 killing more than one thousand people most of them were innocent children and women. Venezuela's stance came in the interest of its relations with Syria which have been built on mutual support and common issues, challenges and rejection of any foreign dictations and all forms of occupation."

The President added that the Latin America is an important continent and Venezuela is a key country on the international map. The pressures against President Chavez over the last few years have not been able to undermine Venezuela."

President Al-Assad went on saying "At the same time when Venezuela was facing huge pressures, Syria was facing pressures that were not less difficult than what happened to President Chavez and maybe more difficult. But President Chavez defeated all challenges bravely because he bet on the people. We in Syria have bet on the people, so it's natural that we win the bet."

 The President said the world only respects the strong. If we are not strong, we will not be respected and we will not be heard by mass media. We will not also have a decision or any real thing on the ground and this is what they call 'Public Diplomacy'."

President Al-Assad continued "Truly, we have built our policy on the ground and we left the 'Public Diplomacy' for them. We differentiate between this diplomacy and politics as the latter is built on the ground. We must know that the national decisions are more important than the international ones and this is what we do in Syria as we signed the United Nations Charter, but we signed it to be implemented not to be transformed into double standard."

"Power can be achieved when we are unified on the internal level. There are a lot of differences over any issue, but we mustn't allow foreign forces to interfere in these differences. We have different viewpoints on internal issues, but we must be unified without any hesitation in dealing with external issues."

President Al-Assad added "I talk to you as one family. Many ties, aspirations and feelings are binding us. We have the same enemy and we are facing the same pressures. Today, I visit Venezuela because it leads the developments in Latin America and defends the interests of this continent and its independence which was achieved in the last decade."

"I didn't ask anyone before my current visit, I only thought of the national interests. We don't work according to the opinions or choices of others; we work according to our interests and choices. When I say we, I mean the Syrians in the first place. The past years have not been easy, but they proved …We have transformed the Middle East which Condoleezza Rice called for a Middle East based on the Arab vision as we want it to be," the President affirmed.

President Al-Assad said that President Chavez's visit to Syria in 2006 was the real beginning of the relation between both countries.

He added that at the time of that visit "we had a lot of visions and ideas, but we didn't have a real base to start cooperation. We had discussed many issues that were unattainable at that time. It took both governments three years to study the agreements. On this visit we achieved the framework agreement to push forward this relation. Agreements are important, but the challenge now is how to turn them into actual practices on the ground."

President Al-Assad highlighted the excellent political relation and coordination between Syria and Venezuela, adding that the problem now is with cooperation in economy which "we want to match up with the political relations."

"We want to have a strategic relation between the two countries. This is my goal and President Chavez's goal. We want to pay Venezuela's favors back."

The President added "We view Venezuela as a country that supports our causes and embodies the history of resistance and revolution in Latin America and the world. It has now also become a symbol of resistance in the Middle East and the Arab world."

President Al-Assad said that Syria is the supporter of resistance in the region in the face of the external challenges, stressing that the biggest challenge for the people in the Middle East region is Israel.

"The stability we have been seeking seems out of reach under the Israeli aggressive policies against the Arab countries and particularly the Palestinians."

The President described what is happening in Gaza as "slow death" of one and a half million people suffering badly form the Israeli siege imposed on them from all sides.

President Al-Assad said "We reject surrender. We accept only the real peace that gives the rights back to their owners. We don't support resistance because we are seeking conflicts or what they call violence. We don't know hatred even toward our aggressors, but at the same time we know determination and the difference between hatred and firmness. We are firm toward our causes without feeling hatred. Therefore, resistance is not terrorism. Terrorism for us is the Israeli practices, policies and intentions toward the Arab people and the peace process."

President Al-Assad stressed that peace can't be achieved without the return of the rights "which must be first given back, then peace comes later."

He said that Syria believes in dialogue as the natural path toward solving any problem no matter how complex it might be, "therefore, regarding peace, negotiations are the natural path."

The President stressed that "when negotiations have failed for two decades now, the option will be resistance. Resistance is the parallel path to the restoration of the rights. Resistance doesn't contradict peace, it will lead to peace. The result will be the restoration of the lands and the rights, and then peace will be definitely achieved in our region."

President Al-Assad said cooperation with Latin America "is more urgent now than ever, and that despite the challenges and pressures, we are now more able to embark on this cooperation," referring to the key role of expatriate communities in giving push to the trade exchange with Venezuela which is still at its minimum.

"The force of the expatriate community is determined by the role it might play between Syria and Venezuela through maintaining communication with the motherland," the President said, calling on the Syrian community in Venezuela to work to link together the interests of the people of both countries and to preserve their Arabic language and culture in order to maintain the bond with their motherland and the country of residence.