ARMENIAN, SYRIAN PRESIDENTS PLEASED WITH TALKS

Mediamax
June 17 2009
Armenia

Yerevan, 17 June: Syria learned about Armenia’s steps to normalize
relations with Turkey with pleasure, Syrian President Bashar al-Asad
stated in Yerevan today.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a joint news conference with the
Armenian president, Bashar al-Asad started Syria’s readiness to assist
progress in the process of normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations
taking into account the good relations of Damascus with both sides.

Bashar al-Asad stated that he has got acquainted with the opinion
of the Armenian president on Karabakh problem, which is especially
important on the eve of his upcoming visit to Azerbaijan. He expressed
hope that they will manage to avoid complications in the process of
Karabakh conflict settlement.

Presidents of Armenia and Syria expressed content by the negotiations,
which took place in Yerevan today. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
described as "historical" the official visit of the Syrian president
and noted the many centuries’ history of Armenian-Syrian relations. He
highlighted the fact that at the beginning of XX century, the Syrian
people held a helping hand to many Armenians, who had survived as a
result of the genocide [mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey].

"Syria is the second homeland of Armenians", Serzh Sargsyan quoted
the words of the former president of Syria Hafez al-Asad, who visited
Armenia 30 years ago.

Bashar al-Asad informed that he invited his Armenian counterpart to
visit Syria in response.