PRESIDENT AL-ASSAD/ PRESIDENT SARGSYAN CONFERENCE (March 22, 2010)

President Bashar al-Assad and the visiting Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held here Monday a session of talks on bilateral relations as well as on the latest regional and international developments.

 In a joint press conference following the talks, President al-Assad described the visit of President Sargsyan as a ' further pillar following my visit to Yerevan", in bolstering of the Syrian-Armenian relations, pushing them forward.

President al-Assad asserted that the given conditions and developments, witnessed by the world in general, and the Middle east in particular, require the '' more of cooperation, and consultations in every field, especially in the political and economic ones".

 President al-Assad outlined that his talks with President Sargsyan dealt with the standing bilateral relations and prospects of their development,' given the strong bonds binding both friendly people', importance of reactivating the Syrian-Armenian Joint Committee, as well as the conditions in the Middle East and Caucasus.

"The conditions in the Middle East and Caucasus Regions were at the centre of out talks; especially the conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the halted Mideast Peace Process and what we hear every day of Israeli declarations threatening with war, rather than working for peace. Israel meets peace calls with the more of siege, killing and settlements construction; which could portend dire consequences,'' said President al-Assad.

"I have been briefed by President Sargsyan on the latest developments related to the conditions in Caucasus,'' added President al-Assad, reiterating necessity of work as to overcome all differences between Armenia and Turkey, resorting to dialogue as to continue the process of confidence building, ' hence both of them have the good intentions to this effect'', hailing President Sargsyan's decision as go forward towards relations with Turkey as ' courageous' ' based on a far-sighted vision'.

President al-Assad renewed Syria's willingness to play a role in the finding of a ' common grounds' as to construct normal Armenian-Turkish relations, in the interest of the region security and stability.

"We believe that the solving of any problem, whatever complex such a problem might be, should be first by its people, and second by its neighbors and the region people; because foreign interference has proved across decades, and perhaps across last centuries, itself as always complicating problems and never as to leading to solution,'' said President al-Assad, in reply to a question about Syria's possible role as far as the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey.

President al-Assad underscored Syria's ' big care' about Armenia, the Armenian People, not only in Armenia, but in other States as well, citing the 'human relationship' binding Syria and Armenia, and Syria's 'good' and ' increasingly in development' relation with Turkey.

'' I believe that President Sargsyan and Armenian officials have big trust in our intentions for them; so, we will soon move in this direction, following the felt encouragement from President Sargsyan. I do underline that the decision taken by President Sargsyan in this regard is courageous, and has many difficulties; President Sargsyan, nevertheless, has decided to go forward; and he should make a success,'' concluded president al-Assad.

For his part, President Sargsyan said that Armenia highly appreciates its relations with Syria, and the best proof on that is the mutual visits between the two Presidents during the last 9 months.

 "Cordial and warm relations between me and President al-Assad will become a firm guarantee for these ties to develop and deepen bilateral relations in a natural way. We discussed political, cultural, scientific and vocational issues as well as we exchanged opinions on a number of international issues," the Armenian President added.

President Sargsyan expressed satisfaction over the two countries' readiness to support stances of each other and agree to continue contacts and discussions on a high level.

 He said "the visit is very important because it witnesses the signing of 10 documents on cooperation between Syria and Armenia in the energy, justice, sports, agriculture and interior fields."

The Armenian President underlined the need for intensifying efforts, though standing difficulties, to reach the aspired results, appreciating culture, scientific, and educational relations.

He invited the art lovers in Syria to enjoy Spartacus ballet show at Opera House in Damascus for the Armenian musician Aram Khatchadourian.

President Sargsyan said that solving conflicts and crisis is possible through peaceful talks and dialogue, and based on this, Armenia seriously works for peace and stability in south Caucasus and boosts security… so we look forwards to normalize our relations with neighbouring Turkey.

As for the talks with Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian President said his country holds discussions on this issue, hoping for reaching a solution, adding that solving a complicated issue needs participation of the sides concerned.

President Al-Assad, in a dinner banquet speech, stressed the importance of historical relations, human, social and cultural links binding the Syrian and Armenian peoples together. "These bonds make potentials of cooperation and rapprochement between the two countries without limits. These potentials must be invested through opening new horizons to reach highest level of economic, trade and cultural cooperation," President Al-Assad said.

"Syria and Armenia live in an important geopolitical region that big international interests meet and intertwined. This requires that the two countries cooperate and coordinate and agree on details and strategies," the president added, asserting: "Dialogue and understanding among the countries of this region; recognition and respect of all countries interests is the best way to solve their problems and boost their position in the international arena,"

President Al-Assad pointed out that the Middle East and the Caucasus, despite the chronic lack of stability have gone a long way in building normal relations among their countries and peoples."Those steps have begun to reap their fruit on the ground through reducing the impact of external powers and their interventions in the development of events," His Excellency President Al-Assad declared.

"The only obstacle in the way of stability is the Israeli occupation, which continues the policy of killing, siege, settlement erection, demolition of Palestinian houses, Judaizing Jerusalem and rejecting all peace initiatives… Achieving peace will not be too far when there is a partner from the Israeli side that believes in the just and comprehensive peace based on resolutions of the international legitimacy and the return of rights to their owners," added the president.

President Sargsyan, meanwhile,   expressed great satisfaction to visit Syria, the wonderful and hospitable country, stressing that mutual visits between the two countries had created mutual and full trust.

He said relations between the Syrian and Armenian peoples are unique and much more than a friendship between two peoples living in the same area, noting that Syrian-Armenian friendship has a history that had extended for thousands of years. "Armenian people owes the Syrian people ,who had always stood by the Armenian people's side, a debt of gratitude  as Armenians received hospitality and compassionate treatment by the great Syrian people," President Sargsyan  said .

Armenians, according to president Sargsyan  could integrate in the social life of this country keeping their identities. He said brotherly relations which have been tested over the centuries and time are the best guarantee for cooperation between the two countries and a testimony on the high-level relations between Armenia and Syria in all fields.

Mohamad Abdo Al-Ibrahim 

Damascus, March 22, 2010.