PRESIDENTS AL-ASSAD- MEDVEDEV PRESS CONFERENCE (May 11, 2010)

DAMASCUS, (SANA)_ President Bashar Al-Assad described here Tuesday the current visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Syria as 'historic' and 'exceptional' and reflecting 'the extent to which the relations between Syria and Russia have reached over the past decades'.

"This relationship has always been prevailed by mutual support and trust," President Al-Assad said in joint press conference with Russian counterpart Medvedev.

The President added that tens of thousands of Syrians graduated from firmly-established Russian Universities and came back home to actively contribute in building the home, as thousands of Russian technicians have contributed along with the Syrians in establishing the infrastructure in Syria throughout decades.

''We have today a big number of joint Syrian-Russian families; some of which live in our country and some others live in Russia. These families create a natural bridge as to rely on in the development of our relations in the future,'' said President al-Assad, recalling the historic Russian stances in support of Arab causes, Palestinian rights to restore the rights, and Syria's right to restore her occupied territories.

"Syria plays an important role in the Middle East, something very important for world security. Russia is an important country due to its geo-political position as a country that connects between the East and the West, its human, economic and scientific potentials and its position at the UN Security Council.

"Therefore dialogue between us is always important for the region and the world. At the same time it is always a fruitful and productive dialogue. That is how the situation was today during my discussion with President Medvedev," President Al-Assad said.

He added: "we focused in our talks on bilateral relations. There is always continued and organized coordination between the two countries. Today we gave wide space for talking about activating cooperation in the economic domain. The world financial crisis has generally harmed cooperation among world countries. Trade exchange between Syria and Russia has been affected by this crisis. Today we are thinking of the new horizons which may help boosting cooperation between the two countries as to overcome it and lead this cooperation to new prospects," President Al-Assad added.

He went on saying ''we have talked about cooperation in gas and oil fields including drilling, transporting and oil refinery setting up in addition to establishing electric power plants: traditional or nuclear plants.''

"We discussed dam construction and irrigation infrastructure in addition to transport specially air transport and potentials of setting up a strategic cooperation council between the two countries. Foreign Ministries in both countries will study this issue and submit proposals to the two governments and leaderships."

"The peace process issue was on the table. Both countries are traditionally concerned in achieving peace in the Middle East. Russia is one of the main sponsors of the ME peace process launched in Madrid. This process is now at a standstill but during the standstill period, it is possible that some parties carry out procedures that may help boost peace opportunities and vice versa, they may carry out procedures that may completely blow up the peace process, "the President said.

He added that Syria considers Palestinian expulsion from Jerusalem, the Israeli aggression against holy places and the siege on Palestinians in Gaza as measures and steps that might blow up the peace process entirely.

"We tackled the Iranian nuclear issue. Our views were that all countries have right to possess peaceful nuclear power, and the necessity to free the Middle East from all mass destruction weapons. We stressed that dialogue between Iran and the 6-countries group; because sanctions have no effects. They rather complicate solution instead of easing it," President Al-Assad said.

He stressed that peace and stability are the right way to combat terrorism." We condemned all terrorist operations recently carried out against the friendly Russian people, who seek peace. We stand by this people in confronting any action that may harm their safety and interest."

In reply to a question from the Russian Interfax News Agency related to Syria's vision for the prospects of a settlement in the Middle East, its evaluation of a possible role to be played by Russia, and to Syria's stance on a Mideast Peace Process compromise solution, President Al-Assad said '' I start from the role of Russia: First, Russia is one of the main sponsors of the peace process launched in Madrid conference; Madrid Terms of Reference are still valid till today for the peace process; this does not contradict other present terms of reference in the Arab Peace Initiative. All these terms of references are basically rooted in the UN Security Council resolutions."

 ''Secondly, Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council; on top of its responsibilities is to care about and work for the implementation of Security Council resolutions, especially when the peace process is based on these resolutions. Thirdly, Russia is a big State and has an international position, and has to use this weight and this position to play a role in the peace process. Consequently, this Russian role and prospects are linked to the presence of the sponsor, parties, and terms of references for the peace process; the terms of reference are clear; namely the Security Council resolutions,'' added president al-Assad.

President Al-Assad went on to say "As far as the parties, there is the willing Arab Party; which has reflected this through the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002. The Israeli party, we all know and most of world countries interested in the peace know, is unwilling -for the peace-''.

As for the US sponsor, we are still in waiting that it would indeed and seriously move towards the peace process. What Russia can do is to search for the partner, whom we do not see now from the Israeli party, and to convince it with the importance of the peace for it as well as for the region. Furthermore, Russia can open dialogue with the US sponsor to encourage it as to quickly move to push the peace process ahead. Once we would reach to this phase, there would be details, principles, and mechanisms which the Russian party could discuss with concerned parties as to guarantee the approach, continuity, and consequently as to make the peace process a success.''

''As for the last part of your question, compromises are always present except when it comes to the rights; that is if somebody robed your properties, you might accept a compromise in a certain direction; but would not accept that he -the robber- would restitute to you part of your properties; he should restitute all the properties in full. Compromise could be made as far as other aspects. Thus, the land should be restituted fully, any other thing like relations, security arrangements and all other details have in them compromise.'' concluded president al-Assad.

For his part, President Medvedev of the Russian Federal Republic described his talks with President Al-Assad as 'extremely good' during which the talks dealt with the 'prospects of developing bilateral relations', where ' agreement was made to establish a Council for Strategic Cooperation and to bolster political consultations' through the foreign ministries of both countries'', citing the big strides achieved last years as far as trade and economic bilateral relations.

''We have discussed concrete projects, which, based on our joint vision, have good prospects as far as execution,'' added President Medvedev, citing projects in the fields of petroleum, gas, transport, electricity, nuclear energy, space technology, and tourism.

"We ,in details, have discussed regional conditions, on top of which Mideast settlement: in particular we have discussed the obstacles and difficulties which have recently faced peace process, and ways of overcoming this crisis as to resume the negotiation process between Arabs and Israelis,'' declared Medvedev.

''We fully agree with President Al-Assad that the Middle East Region should be clear of nuclear weapons. We believe that the opposite would be catastrophic, not only regionally, but internationally too'' said Medvedev.

"Russia is to continue exerting the best of its efforts to help the resumption of the peace process in the Middle East on the recognized international basis; I mean the related United Nations and Security Council resolutions, in addition to Madrid Terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative. As a result of these efforts, it is supposed and a must that the result should be a comprehensive, just, and durable settlement for the Arab-Israeli conflict, the liberation of all the occupied Arab territories, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State which would live in security and peace with all of the region countries, and with Israel first of all,'' President Medvedev underlined.

'' I agreed with President Al-Assad today to continue consultation and coordination between us and with other countries concerned,'' clarified Medvedev.

"We have asserted the right of every country to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the necessity to adhere and cling to all the principles related to nuclear Non-proliferation. Furthermore, we have underlined the necessity for a constructive stance by the Iranian leadership overcoming all problems related at present to its nuclear program,'' added Medvedev.

In reply to a question related to Mideast peace process, Medvedev asserted that the US Administration is not doing enough as to push the process forward, describing standing conditions in the Middle East as being increasingly 'more tense and negative', which would, in turn, reflect on the standing general conditions in the Middle East, renewing Russia's willingness to host a conference in Moscow on the Middle East. '

'The problem is summarized with the lack of political will. With this in mind, Russia could play a role in benefiting from all opportunities and its available potentialities to continue contacts and dialogue with all the parties of the Arab-Israeli dispute and with all concerned parties,'' added the Russian President, citing recent contacts and visits to Russia by Arab and Israeli leaders.

President Medvedev renewed his thanks to President Al-Assad and said: ''We consider this visit as the symbol for our future bilateral cooperation, and believe that this cooperation would continue and get developed with a high pace. From my part, I would like to invite President Bashar al-Assad, my dear colleague, to visit the Federal Russia at any time appropriate for him. ''