SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD ARRIVES IN YEREVAN ON JUNE 17

Noyan Tapan
June 17, 2009

Yerevan, June 17, Noyan Tapan. The President of the Arab Republic
of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad, and his spouse Mrs. Asma Al-Assad arrived
in Yerevan on June 17 on a two-day official visit at the invitation
of the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. The same day following
the welcome ceremony at the President’s residence, Presidents Serzh
Sargsyan and Bashar Al-Assad have had a private talk. President
Sargsyan particularly said: "Armenian highly estimates its
relationships with Syria, we estimate as friendly the Armenian -Syrian
relations and think they have a great potential for development".

The meeting continued in an extended format, President’s press office
reported. President Sargsyan mentioned, that Armenia is interested
in developing economic cooperation with Syria at a completely new
level. Syrian president stressed the necessity of creating favorable
conditions to Syrian investors in Armenia. According to him, the
Armenian community in Syria is the great power which will help to
accomplish many tasks. An intergovernmental agreement of mutual
encouragement and protection of investments was signed between two
governments, as well as the document on nature protection. Presidents
of Armenia and Syria gave a joint press conference in Yerevan.

In the evening of June 17 President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita
Sargsyan gave a dinner in honor of the Syrian President, Bashar
Al-Assad, and Mrs. Asma Al-Assad.

Within the framework of the visit Bashar Al-Assad had meetings with
the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hovik Abrahamyan. The speaker
stressed, that the Armenian people will never forget the support,
the Syrian nation rendered to Armenian forcible displaced people. In
that connection Mr.Abrahamyan informed, that a statue immemorating
that help is constructed in Yerevan with support of the Armenian
community of Syria. Officilas also discused Armenian-Turkish and
Syrian-Turkish relations, as well as a number of issues related to
stability and security in South Caucasus and Near East regions.